Buffalo Bills Rumors: With C.J. Spiller Likely Gone, Ray Rice Could Be A Target
The Buffalo Bills have already given a second chance to one controversial NFL player, and rumors indicate that they could be doing it for a second one as well.
This weekend, the Bills signed guard Richie Incognito, who had been out of the league for a year after a bullying scandal with the Miami Dolphins. The Bills had been very thin at the offensive line, with one of the worst units in the league, and decided to take a chance on Incognito.
Now, with the team likely to lose running back C.J. Spiller to free agency, some rumors indicate that the Bills could be looking at former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice to fill out the backfield. Without Spiller, the Bills would have only an aging Fred Jackson along with Bryce Brown and Anthony “Boobie” Dixon, and could use a back like Rice to round out their backfield.
The signing of Richie Incognito also shows that the Bills are willing to take a chance on players with a checkered history. Rice, who had been suspended after video emerged of him beating then-fiance Janay Palmer, would be considered a much bigger risk than Incognito, however.
As Sports Grid noted, Incognito’s signing may not have as much of a bearing on Ray Rice, as the NFL is all about performance and Incognito can still help a team more than Rice could.
“Rice, on the other hand, could face Incognito-esque isolation for the next year, only to return to the NFL at age 29 for a small contract with similarly tenuous ground. But then again, because Rice’s 2013 season was so bad and he’s a running back, he could very well be out for good. Because unlike Peterson, Rice hadn’t been the focal point of his team’s offense. Rice and Peterson may be comparable off the field, but they aren’t on the field — Peterson is hands down, far-and-away better.”
If the Buffalo Bills do take a chance on Ray Rice, there is still a chance they could be seeing a lot of C.J. Spiller next year. Rumors indicate that the New York Jets and new head coach Todd Bowles are interest in Spiller in free agency.
