Two high-profile free agents fit Bills' desire to add 'heavier' RB
The Buffalo Bills have just two running backs under contract for 2023, and both players don’t exactly fit the mold of a traditional downhill runner.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane acknowledged the lack of size regarding his team’s running back depth, and his recent comments could signal Buffalo as a serious player for one of two tailbacks recently linked to the team: Ezekiel Elliott and Leonard Fournette.
“Right now, (we have) just a couple backs on the roster, so we’ll continue to add there and look for different skill sets,” Beane told reporters. “Yeah, we’ll monitor (size), and (I’m) totally aware that we’ve got a couple guys that are around 200 (pounds). So yeah, we’ll probably add somebody that’s a little heavier than that at some point between now and training camp.”
Both James Cook (5-foot-11, 190 pounds) and Nyheim Hines (5-foot-8, 198 pounds) are shorter, lighter backs who add speed over power. Both Elliott (6-foot, 225 pounds) and Fournette (6-foot, 228 pounds) have larger, stronger frames conducive to short-yardage and goal-line situations — both areas Buffalo could stand to improve in.
Per OddsChecker, the Bills have the second-best odds (+350) of landing Elliott, who led the NFL in rushing twice (2016, 2018) and has four 1,000-yard seasons since entering the league in 2016.
The 27-year-old had 872 yards and 12 touchdowns while splitting time with Tony Pollard in 2022. Elliott could be an ideal option to take the lion’s share of carries in Buffalo while allowing Cook, 23, more time to develop. (He had just 89 carries during his rookie season.)
After three seasons with Tampa Bay, Fournette doesn’t appear to be the same back he was in Jacksonville (two 1,000-yard seasons in three years), but he has logged 1,480 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns over the last two seasons. He could be an option if the Bills believe Cook can handle more of a starter’s workload in 2023.
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