NFL Rumors: The Buffalo Bills Have Issues At Running Back, Reportedly Interested In Reggie Bush And Fred Jackson

The Buffalo Bills head into training camp on July 30 with concerns about their backfield and could go outside the organization to solidify their running back corp.

Buffalo, which finished its first season under Rex Ryan with an 8-8 record, had the best running attack in the NFL as the Bills racked up 152 yards per game on the ground. LeSean McCoy led the team with 895 rushing yards and topped the 100-yard plateau three times. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor was second on the team with 568 yards on the ground and Karlos Williams added 517 yards as a rookie while Mike Gillislee rolled 267 yards.

McCoy also contributed 32 receptions for an additional 292 yards, though he was limited to 12 games due to hamstring and knee injuries. According to ABC News 27, the 28-year-old will head into training camp healthy and ready to go, but that can’t be said for his potential backups.

Williams, who led the Bills with seven rushing touchdowns in 2015, was recently suspended for the first four games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. The 23-year-old was expected to be a major part of the team’s backfield rotation this year, but he also showed up at mandatory minicamp overweight.

To make matters worse, 2016 fifth-round selection Jonathan Williams could also face discipline from the NFL after being arrested on suspicion of DWI on July 14. ESPN reported that the 22-year-old was pulled over by police after he was seen weaving in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The police report stated that Williams, the 10th leading rusher in University of Arkansas history despite not playing a down in 2015, claimed he only had one beer on the night of the incident but had watery eyes, slurred speech, and a “strong odor of intoxicants” and “swaying balance” during standard field sobriety tests.

Buffalo did re-acquire free agent running back Daniel “Boom” Herron this offseason and will have Gillislee and James Wilder, Jr., also in training camp. But none of those three have seen major action in their careers.

Herron split time with Buffalo and the Indianapolis Colts last season, totaling 79 yards on 25 carries. The 27-year-old has appeared in 35 career games, accumulating 468 yards on 112 attempts. He also has 31 receptions for an additional 277 yards.

Gillislee saw his most extensive action of his three-year career last year. The 25-year-old had 267 yards and three touchdowns on 47 rushes.

Wilder, Jr., per the Buffalo Football Report, performed well during the Bills OTAs and made an impression on Ryan. The 24-year-old went undrafted out of Florida State in 2014 and spent the entire season on the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad in 2015 before signing a futures/reserve contract with the Bills in January.

With so much uncertainty surrounding the Bills backup running backs, it is not surprising Buffalo has shown interest in other running backs like Reggie Bush.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL tweeted, on July 18, that the Bills have targeted Bush and even made an offer, though the 31-year-old is in no hurry to commit to a team. Bush appeared in just five games last year with the San Francisco 49ers before tearing ACL, although he has said he is fully recovered. Last season, he carried the ball eight times for 28 yards, caught four passes, and returned two punts.

Bush has suffered several major injuries in his career but is still a threat out of the backfield, catching the ball. When healthy, Bush has the ability to carry the ball 10 times a game and return kicks. He has rushed for nearly 5,500 yards, has over 3,500 receiving yards, and returned four punts for his career.

Bush spoke about his free agency with USA Today For The Win on July 22.

“I know everybody’s been texting me and asking about Buffalo, but as of right now, I haven’t made a decision. But if the opportunity is there, obviously, Buffalo is the most known one right now. But we’ll see. I’m still trying to figure out what’s going to be the best opportunity for me and my family.”

While Buffalo management may be enamored with Bush, Joe Buscaglia of WKBW wrote that veteran cornerback Aaron Williams would like the Bills to bring back Fred Jackson.

#BillsMafia RT if you think we should be signing @Fred22Jackson back. Fav. if it's ridiculous that it hasn't happened yet ? #MakeItHappen

— Aaron Williams (@ajwilliams23) July 21, 2016

Jackson, 35, played for the Seattle Seahawks last season after spending the previous eight years in Buffalo. Jackson rushed for just 100 yards on 26 attempts, though he also grabbed 32 receptions for 257 yards. He has over 5,000 career rushing yards and 2,640 career receiving yards.

Despite Williams’ plea, Buscaglia added the Bills have yet to show any interest in the veteran back.

Thomas split time with the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins in 2015, carrying the ball 15 times for 64 yards. The 31-year-old has compiled 3,809 yards and 28 touchdowns in nine NFL seasons.

Bell visited Buffalo in March. The 29-year-old had just 90 rushing attempts for 311 yards and four touchdowns last year with the Detroit Lions. In addition, he caught 22 passes for 286 yards.

Jackson ran for 1,000 yards for eight consecutive years between 2005 and 2012. But the 33-year-old has rushed for only 1,290 yards in the past three years, including 50 yards on 21 attempts in two contests for the New England Patriots last season.

Bradshaw had his 2015 season end after six games due to a wrist injury. The 30-year-old finished the season with 86 rushing yards on 31 attempts. He did also add 10 receptions for 64 yards and three touchdowns.

[Photo by Tom Gannam/AP Photo]