[jwplayer HAN0ioyH]
The Bills appear to have a formidable duo in their backfield in youngsters Devin Singletary and Zack Moss. But moving forward, could that change to a trio?
Pro Football Focus made an interesting selection as a player the Bills (13-3) could add via free agency this offseason: Seahawks running back Chris Carson. Ranking the top players at the position that are slated to be free agents, Carson, who averaged 4.8 yards per carry in 2020 in 12 games played, appears No. 2 on the list.
In doing so, PFF complimented Carson’s worth ethic:
You will find few harder-running backs than Chris Carson, and that play style has led to him having some of the most consistent PFF rushing grades of any back in the league during his career. He hasn’t had a rushing grade below 75.0 or above 81.0 in four years and has always maximized his yardage. In each season of his career, he has gained at least three yards per carry after contact, topping out with 3.63 yards on average in 2019 — a season in which he broke 62 tackles including the playoffs.
Carson isn’t overly old at 26, but it still doesn’t seem like an investment the Bills would make. It’s currently unclear what the upcoming salary cap situation will be in the NFL this offseason due to COVID-19, so it’s hard to really even predict what kind of room the Bills would have to add free agents at this time.
But PFF suggests a three-year, $27 million deal, and annual average of $9 million for Carson to the Bills. With pending free agents like offensive lineman Daryl Williams and linebacker Matt Milano, the cap space could be better spent.
Plus, the Bills aren’t exactly a run-heavy team… at all. Of the 1,034 plays the Bills ran on offense in 2020, 411 were running plays. Of that 411, 102 were from quarterback Josh Allen. That leaves 309 total rushing plays to other players.
Carson wouldn’t exactly be a smart investment.
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