Buffalo Bills top-5 cost-effective veteran contracts
By Avery Duncan
4. T.J. Yeldon – RB
Contract: $3.2 million over two years, signed in 2019
Cap hit in 2019: $1.3 million
Just days before the draft, Brandon Beane moved in silence, signing running back T.J. Yeldon to a $3.2 million deal over the course of two years. The Bills were lauded for their acquisition of Frank Gore — another affordable contract — but adding Yeldon was a bit off the radar. When the Bills drafted Devin Singletary in round three, talk, and subsequently hype, of the Alabama product was muted.
Heading into free agency, I dubbed Yeldon as a priority. Though he’s never rushed for more than 1,000 yards in the NFL, I see a ceiling of a three-down starter and a floor as a contributing third-down back. In his rookie year with the Jaguars, the Alabama product showed that ceiling, tallying 1,019 scrimmage yards. But he was quickly replaced by Chris Ivory and later, Leonard Fournette — in turn, his production took a dip.
Just 25 years old with a fair amount of tread left on his tires (636 career touches), Yeldon still has time to reach his ceiling. He’s a big back (6-foot-1, 223-pounds) with some serious speed, power, and agility — he ran for 1,872 yards on an average of 4.0 YPC behind some bad Jaguars offensive lines in four seasons.
Yeldon’s best trait isn’t what he can do on the ground; he’s an excellent third-down back that runs clean routes, has reliable hands, and can block with physicality. The back’s recorded 171 receptions for 1,302 yards and six touchdowns throughout his career. Considering that the Bills’ running back depth chart is all but figured out, Yeldon could break out in 2019; or at minimum, be a change of pace complementary back.