2015 Buffalo Bills Player Profile: Fred Jackson
By Tyler Olson
Dec 28, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson (22) runs the ball against New England Patriots strong safety Tavon Wilson (27) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
The career of former undrafted free agent Fred Jackson may be winding down but he’s not planning on going out without a fight.
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Jackson, 34, has spent his entire professional career as a member of the Buffalo Bills organization. After a great career at D-3 school Coe College out of Cedar Rapids, IA, Jackson went undrafted in the 2003 NFL draft. He received workouts from multiple teams but many discounted him for being “too small” to play running back.
After successful stints in the National Indoor Football League, United Football League and NFL Europa, it wasn’t until 2006 when Jackson was given another shot to make an NFL roster. It took another former Coe College alumnus, Marv Levy, to take a chance on him. That’s when Jackson was invited to Bills training camp and he impressed coaches enough to earn a roster spot.
The rest is history. A Buffalo fan favorite, Jackson has been a staple of consistency in the Bills’ backfield since the 2007 NFL season. He’s never been the go-to-guy, taking a backseat his whole career to other running backs such as Marshawn Lynch and CJ Spiller but as a role player he’s accumulated 8,286 yard from scrimmage (5,646 rushing) and 37 touchdowns.
Now heading into his 10th season in the league, Jackson is forced to continue taking the backseat in Buffalo, this time to all-pro running back LeSean McCoy. He won’t, however, go down without a fight.
“I’m not going to just hand him the job.” – Fred Jackson
With Spillers contract ending at the end of the season and Jackson aging, Bills fans knew that management was going to bring in help for Jackson. Few thought that Spiller would agree to stick around in Buffalo so new head coach Rex Ryan and general manager Doug Whaley make the executive decision to swap promising linebacker Kiko Alonso for McCoy.
May 26, 2015; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson (22) runs with the ball during the organized team activities at the ADPRO Sports Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
Overall, McCoy is a major improvement at the running back position and improves the offense immensely. The added dimension of one the best running backs in the league will take the pressure off of EJ Manuel, or Matt Cassel, or whoever is playing quarterback for Buffalo in 2015. It just doesn’t bode well for Jackson and his future in Buffalo.
The Bills are stacked at the running back position but not from a talent perspective. Between McCoy, rookie Karlos Williams, Boobie Dixon and Bryce Brown, Jackson could be the odd man out once week one rolls around.
Jackson has seen his production fall the last couple seasons but not drastically. He still runs just as hard as he did in 2008, and in 2014 he had his best season statistically in the passing game, catching 66 passes for 501 yards. While it’s promising for Jackson from that perspective, it doesn’t help that McCoy is a strong pass catcher himself.
The best situation for Jackson is for Buffalo to keep him around as a valuable third-down back and someone to come in and spell McCoy when he needs a break. According to Jackson, however, that may not be often:
Fred Jackson says Bills want LeSean McCoy 'to get 300-plus carries' http://t.co/FNvdD6jNpN
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) June 2, 2015
With McCoy in town, and a stable of younger backs with potential on the roster, best-case scenario for Jackson heading into 2015 is to prove he can stay healthy and be have a veteran leadership role for not only the younger running backs but the team as a whole. He’s a favorite on the team, and a favorite in the hearts of Bills fans everywhere.
If you’re like many of the other Bills fans out there, you may want to join this Facebook page: Keep Fred Jackson in Buffalo. The group is 7,500+ members strong, all with a common love for a model citizen and teammate in Buffalo.
Jackson still has a lot to provide for the Bills in 2015. Not only do I believe he’ll be on the roster come week one, I also believe he’ll be a valuable asset to the offense throughout the whole season.
Prediction: Second String