Buffalo Bills complete their backfield with the addition of Damien Harris

Last week, Buffalo Bills’ general manager Brandon Beane made it clear that they want to add a bigger back and they have reportedly done that Monday night with the addition of Damien Harris, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The reported deal is for one year.

Damien Harris was a third round pick by the New England Patriots out of the University of Alabama and didn’t see many snaps as a rookie. He would see his role expand in 2020 and 2021 and he would lead the Patriots in rushing yards both seasons.

However, the 2020 season was by far his best as he had 929 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns. This past season, Harris was passed on the depth chart by Rhamondre Stevenson after a hamstring injury in Week 5 forced him off the field. He would finish the year with 462 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns on 106 carries.

Buffalo Bills complete their backfield with Damien Harris

Last year, the Buffalo Bills desperately needed a power back for this offense. The front office wanted one this offseason to compliment James Cook, who looks to be in line for a much bigger role in his second season with the Buffalo Bills. He is not necessarily the biggest running back but Damien Harris certainly runs with power and had 32 broken tackles over the past three seasons.

The addition of Damien Harris should also take some pressure off Josh Allen as the Bills look to utilize Harris closer to the goal line and in short-yardage situations. While the Bills shouldn’t go completely away from having Allen in those situations, it would be smart to be more selective when they call run plays with him.

It remains to be seen how the rest of the offseason plays out but with Harris now in this offense along with Cook and Nyheim Hines, it would be logical that the team doesn’t use a draft pick on a running back in the 2023 NFL Draft. This looks to be a good move that should bring some balance to the Buffalo Bills offense.