The Buffalo Bills discovered a new aspect to their offense in 2023, generating a strong ground game where James Cook became the franchise’s first 1,000-yard rusher since LeSean McCoy.
However, the Bills have a rather empty backfield at the beginning of the new league year, with only Cook and practice squad back Darrynton Evans under contract, and a group of veterans either released or going to free agency.
One insider thinks the Bills can find a strong rushing option to complement Cook in free agency, aiming to sign Green Bay Packers running back A.J. Dillon to a low-cost contract.
Bills are expected to address the backfield
As Joe Buscaglia from The Athletic pointed out that the Bills need a short-yardage back now that Latavius Murray and Leonard Fournette have both finished their contracts. Buscaglia suggested that Dillon could be a good fit at a reasonable price.
“The Bills will probably want another experienced runner with more power, which could open the door for Dillon to play a smaller role this season,” Buscaglia wrote. “Weighing in at 247 pounds with some ability to catch passes, Dillon would be the perfect short-yardage back to add an element of unpredictability to the offense. With the expectation of the running back market taking a sharp downturn in free agency, the Bills can sign him to a good deal.”
Buscaglia forecasted that Dillon would probably “sign for much less than the expected 2025 compensatory formula contract line,” which was set at $2.5 million last season.
Dillon shared carries with Aaron Jones during his four seasons in Green Bay, rushing for a total of 2,428 yards with 16 touchdowns over four seasons. Dillon also proved to be a good receiver from the backfield, catching a total of 86 passes for 763 yards with two receiving touchdowns during his time with the Packers.
Last season, the Bills mainly relied on quarterback Josh Allen in short-yardage situations, while Murray added 79 rushing attempts for 300 yards and four touchdowns.
Bills are making changes to their running back group
The Bills have already taken action in their backfield by releasing running back and return specialist Nyheim Hines after he missed the entire 2023 season with a torn ACL. According to Adam Schefter, an ESPN reporter, announced on March 3 that the Bills were releasing Hines in a move expected to save close to $4.6 million in cap space.
More additions could be on the way, with other insiders predicting that the Bills will seek out some experienced players to add. Matt Bove, sports director for Buffalo’s WKBW, predicted that the Bills could pursue Ezekiel Elliott in free agency as he would also be a cost-effective addition for a team dealing with salary cap constraints.
“I really think Ezekiel Elliott makes sense for the Buffalo Bills,” Bove said. “When you hear his name, I think you immediately go, ‘Why would the Bills spend big-time money on a running back out of his prime.’ He’s not going to cost you big-time money. I think Ezekiel Elliott could be had for $2, $3 million dollars a year.”
The Bills have also invested relatively high draft picks in running backs, selecting them in the second or third round in three of the last five years.