Orchard Park, N.Y. (WGR 550) - As the Buffalo Bills look towards free agency and the NFL Draft, my 2023 "State of the Bills" position-by-position series continues.
Here's a look at the running back position:
Under contract:
- James Cook
- Nyheim Hines
- Reggie Gilliam (FB)
Pending Free Agents:
- Devin Singletary (UFA)
- Taiwan Jones (UFA)
State of the position:
Singletary has essentially been RB1 since midway through his rookie year of 2019, leading that position group in snaps every season since being drafted in the third round that year. He’s had a nice four-year career in Buffalo, but it may come to an end.
The 25-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent, and while most likely not looking at a huge payday on the open market, will probably still command more than what the Bills will be willing to pay versus other teams, who may view him as their main ball-carrier next season.
It doesn’t seem like the Bills see him that way anymore, given how Cook started taking more of a role as last season unfolded.
It took a while for a Cook to see significant playing time, but once he did, he started taking advantage of it, and his usage increased dramatically.
Through the first 11 games, Singletary was the clear lead back, routinely playing over 70% of the offensive snaps, while Cook carried the ball more than five times just once, in a blowout Week 2 win over the Tennessee Titans.
That changed pretty dramatically over the final five games. Of 335 total offensive snaps over that time, Singletary was on the field for 50.7% of them, while Cook played 42.6%. Singletary had just five more total touches than Cook over that span, 60-55.
Cook finished the season averaging 5.7 yards per-carry. That number would have officially led all running backs throughout the entire league if he had 11 more carries, which would have qualified him for league leaders status.
Cook is in position now to basically replace Singletary, as far as how the Bills use their top back and approach the position philosophically. Given he’s only going into his second season and on a rookie contract - scheduled to count less than $1.4 million against the cap - it’s the kind of situation general manager Brandon Beane likes to have in the backfield.
Hines, on the other hand, is scheduled to count for just under $4.8 million against the cap. That’s not ideal for a player whose primary role was to return punts and kicks. That may not have been the plan when the Bills traded for him just before the deadline, but for whatever reason - after joining the team in nine games played - Hines only carried the ball six times and caught just five passes.
Even if the plan is to integrate him much more in 2023 after having a full offseason with the club, that contract number might be too tough to live with. On top of that, the Bills would save and clear every single dollar of that entire $4.79 million cap hit if they release him, making Hines a potential cut, or, at least, a contract restructure candidate.
The Bills continually bring back Jones on one-year deals. He is regarded as a core special teams player, logging almost 75% of the snaps a year ago. But he’s also going to be 35-years-old in July.
At some point they’re going to move on. It could be this offseason, but given their affinity for him, his availability and role, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him back again.
Gilliam is also a core special teamer, and may have out-snapped Jones in that department had he not missed a game with an injury. He played over 60% of offensive snaps last year, as well, the most of his career. The Bills like to use him in a blocking role, but he also caught eight passes, including one for a touchdown.
The team signed Gilliam to a two-year contract extension last training camp, so he’s under contract for two more seasons.
One area the team could use improvement is short yardage situations. The Bills faced 104 combined 2nd- and 3rd-and-1 or -2 yards to go situations in 2022. They converted only 70 of them into first downs (67.3%).
There's obviously been a lot of talk over the last few years about how much they use quarterback Josh Allen as a runner. Part of the reason they do that so often is because he's their biggest and strongest back.
Even Beane said last month that he’d like Allen to take less hits. So Beane and his staff may want to change that this offseason to take away some of those runs from Allen and give them to a bigger back they either find in free agency or bring aboard through the draft.
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