Should the Buffalo Bills Sign Fred Jackson?
By Ryan Brennan
In light of all the problems occurring in the Bills’ backfield, some players are starting to weigh in on what they think the Bills should do. Would it be smart if the Buffalo Bills sign Fred Jackson?
Let’s be honest, the Buffalo Bills‘ running backs have probably taken more hits this off-season than they will all season long. However, it doesn’t seem like they will miss too much of a beat once Week 1 vs. the Ravens rolls around.
After hearing about Karlos Williams‘ four-game suspension, Bills’ fans quickly started to worry about the team’s backfield — especially after LeSean McCoy and Jonathan Williams also made headlines and not on a positive note.
The good news is, LeSean McCoy should be completely healthy by Week 1 and will not be facing any discipline for his role in a bar fight this offseason. That means the Bills will have their starting running back ready to go. More good news broke once reports suggested a Jonathan Williams’ suspension would either come later this season or even next season. With that being said, we should have Jonathan Williams suited up while Karlos is out.
Not to mention, the Bills also have young talent in James Wilder, Jr. and Mike Gillislee.
That raises the question: Do the Bills even need to find more help in the backfield during Karlos’ absence?
Apparently the team thought so when they reached out to free agent Reggie Bush, with both sides showing interest. Now, some Bills’ players are starting to weigh in on the running back situation. Most recently, safety Aaron Williams voiced his opinion on what the Bills should do:
https://twitter.com/ajwilliams23/status/756210712536494082
Some people started to wonder the same thing once the Bills reached out to Bush. A fan-favorite in Buffalo, Fred Jackson got his lucky break in 2007 after going undrafted. He quickly won the hearts of Bills’ fans and continued to show his dedication to the team for the next 8 years. To the surprise of pretty much everyone, the Bills decided to cut him to free up cap space last September.
Fred Jackson spent all of last season with the Seattle Seahawks, joining his old teammate Marshawn Lynch — right before Lynch retired from the league. He played in every game, but wasn’t used a whole lot. He recorded 26 rushes for 100 yards and 32 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns.
Related Story: Keeping Up With the Williams
As of right now — and probably for a long time to come — Jackson is the Bills’ third all-time leading rusher, behind only O.J. Simpson and Thurman Thomas.
Although it would be awesome to see Jackson back in a Bills’ jersey, it’s just completely unnecessary. Given the team’s young talent, low cap space and priorities with re-signing Stephon Gilmore and Tyrod Taylor, (more on Tyrod here, more on Gilmore here) I don’t see this happening. In fact, I don’t even see them picking up Reggie Bush.
Still, Jackson’s wife replied to Williams’ tweet:
https://twitter.com/dani22jack/status/756211828049391616
Hang tight, Bills’ fans. Everything will be okay.
What’s your fondest memory of Fred Jackson?