The Buffalo Bills were so intent on wooing fullback Jerome Felton during free agency they dispatched a private plane to pick up their lead blocker. The fullback came boasting some Rex Ryan-like expectations.
Felton, entering his eighth NFL season, blocked for Adrian Peterson when the back busted the 2,000-yard-barrier in 2012. Felton told Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News he'd like to plow the road for LeSean McCoy to do the same.
"I want him to break records," Felton said. "I want him to get 2,000 yards. I want him to lead the league in rushing. Him and Adrian are cut from the same cloth. I would be very disappointed if he's not the leading rusher in the league next year, that's for sure."
It's a stretch to compare McCoy and Peterson's running style, but Felton was persistent when pressed about 2,000 yards being a realistic goal -- only seven players in NFL history have reached that mark.
"Why not?" Felton said. "He has the ability that it takes. For a runner to get 2,000 yards, you have to be able to score from anywhere on the field. That's my goal for him."
We expect McCoy to get the bulk of the carries in Buffalo, where the Bills will rely on the ground game and a stout defense to overcome a shaky quarterback situation. On the other hand, 2,000 yards doesn't seem like a realistic goal -- McCoy's career high is 1,607 in 2013. Even Shady might agree, but that won't stop his lead blocker from setting the bar as high as Eric Dickerson's single-season record.
"I probably have higher goals for him than he does," Felton said, "I'm going to try to make that happen for him."
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