C.J. Spiller spent the first half of last season watching Buffalo Bills teammate Fred Jackson emerge as one of the most dangerous running backs in the NFL.
Jackson's fine play had the result of keeping Spiller on the bench, but after Jackson broke his leg in Week 11, Spiller got his chance. The 2010 first-round pick made the most of his opportunity, rushing for 446 yards over the team's final six games. He averaged more than five yards per carry and scored five touchdowns in that stretch.
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"(Spiller's) confidence level just went through the roof in my opinion. He knows what to do a lot better now," Bills coach Chan Gailey recently told reporters, according to ESPN.com. "He has a lot of confidence that he can play running back, he can go out and play receiver, he can do a lot of things and blocking. He's gotten better at his blocking from the previous year. His ball security was a lot better last year. He carried it multiple times and did a good job of controlling the ball."
Spiller has another fan in Bills general manager Buddy Nix, who said in January that the running back can be a "workhorse" back. Hmmm ...
Jackson signed an extension in May that essentially gives him a three-year, $10.8 million contract with the team. The $3 million signing bonus was the only guaranteed money in the deal, so the Bills are unlikely to defer to Jackson for financial reasons. The best man will see the most action, and it's shaping up as one of the most intriguing plotlines in Bills camp.
