The Buffalo Bills and CJ Spiller are working on a new contract and while that could get done this season, a trade could also be in the cards and teams like the Oakland Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, NY Giants and Minnesota Vikings all could be interested in the explosive running back, as he has been looking for a new deal since the summer as he heads into free agency.
According to NFL.com, the Bills and Spiller have continued talking about a contract, but that is not a guarantee that a deal will get done. Spiller is an explosive player and GM Doug Whaley said that the team is looking to keep their playmakers, but the team has also backed themselves up by keeping Fred Jackson on an extension and also pulling off the trade for Bryce Brown with the Eagles. The Bills are planning to use the rushing game extensively this season and Spiller should be a part of it.
Spiller is the top playmaker in the stable of RBs, but if the team doesn't pay him what he wants, there is a chance he could leave or that he could be traded. NFL.com writes that Spiller and his future in Buffalo are "murky" and that the team has made moves to give themselves insurance in case it happens. The team also signed Anthony Dixon for the next three years and on top of that, NFL.com writes that Spiller isn't exactly the best fit for head coach Doug Marrone's offense. The report says that Spiller rand his role has been "in question" for some time with the Bills.
Spiller ended up with the most carries among the backs, but he did not gain the most yards of the group. Spiller had 15 carries and had 53 yards, while Dixon had five carries for 60 yards and Jackson had seven for 61 yards. Spiller was explosive a couple years ago and averaged six yards per carry, but last season he was down to four and while that's still good, he has been looked at as possibly declining a bit with the Bills and that is one reason why they may not want to pay him.
The Oakland Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins and Giants all could be interested in a deal, but that may come closer to the deadline. The Raiders have Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew, but they both are injury prone and have not been great the past couple years, while the Cowboys have the same concerns with injury for DeMarco Murray, but when he is healthy he has been good. The Giants need a spark of something on offense and Spiller could fit there, as they use a ton of screen passes and flat options in their new system.
Spiller had his best season in 2010 with 1244 yards and six touchdowns, but the next season he had 933 yards and while that is still good, it wasn't nearly as dominant or explosive. Spiller also went from 43 catches for 459 yards to 33 catches for 185 yards and that is another reason why some think that Marrone and his system aren't great for Spiller and his skills.
