Grade for the Buffalo Bills signing running back Matt Breida
While the Buffalo Bills still have Devin Singletary and Zack Moss at the top of the depth chart, there were certainly some changes that needed to be made this offseason. The run game wasn’t really effective and the one thing that was really missing was a running back with breakaway speed in the backfield.
Well, the Buffalo Bills certainly have that now with running back Matt Breida, who agreed to a one-year deal. The 26 year old running back spent last season with the Miami Dolphins and had only 59 carries for 254 yards, along with nine receptions for 96 yards.
The concern, and the question, is why exactly did Breida have such a small role in their offense last year? He wasn’t able to beat out Myles Gaskins early in the season and then when Gaskins was hurt it was undrafted rookie Salvon Ahmed who got most of the work.
The hope should be that the Matt Breida the Buffalo Bills get this coming season is a version of the player that was on the San Francisco 49ers. He spent the first three years of his career with the 49ers, and while never a starter, was certainly much more effective.
He averaged 5.0 yards per carry in those seasons with San Francisco and had runs of 66 and 83 yards, which goes to show the breakaway speed that he has.
The Buffalo Bills also get a running back who has done a good job as a pass catcher out of the backfield. In his career, he has 76 receptions and a catch rate of 76.8% and with an average of 8.6 yards per reception.
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The best part of this deal, and one of the reasons it receives a high grade, is the Buffalo Bills were able to address a big need without spending a lot of money. The one-year deal worth $1.055 million ranks 86th among running backs, according to Spotrac.
Final Grade: B+