Insider Reveals; Veteran Bills RB Set to Return for Upcoming Season
Plans are in motion for the Buffalo Bills to address their depleted backfield by reinstating a seasoned running back who played an integral part in 2023.
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Bills are set on renewing Ty Johnson’s contract and retaining him in Buffalo. Last offseason saw Johnson join the team as a free agent and begin his time on their practice squad; however, he later ascended to become Cook’s backup following Harris’ injury which ended his season prematurely.
By making this move, the Bills would address a gap in their backfield since they currently only have one running back under contract who played on the active roster during 2023.
In 2023, Ty Johnson ascended the depth chart.
Late in August, the Bills added the former New York Jets to their roster as a replacement for Nyheim Hines who suffered an ACL tear. At first, Johnson was placed on the practice squad; however, he moved up to the active lineup when Damien Harris hurt his neck and couldn’t play for rest of season during October.
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the Bills made a commitment to Johnson when he was being pursued by Los Angeles Rams from their practice squad.
According to Rapoport, the Bills elevated RB Ty Johnson from the practice squad to their 53-man roster following an attempted bid by the #Rams earlier in the week.
After some time, Johnson was elevated to Cook’s second in command position. Throughout his tenure, he managed a total of 30 rushes for 130 yards and snagged seven receptions amounting to 62 yards and one touchdown. During the playoffs, Johnson took on an even more significant responsibility with eight carries resulting in a gain of only 26 yards during their triumph over Pittsburgh Steelers while managing seven attempts delivering approximately forty-yard progressions that resulted in Kansas City Chiefs’ divisional-round loss.
During this offseason, the Bills had only secured Cook and practice squad running back Darrynton Evans in their roster. Meanwhile, Harris was set to enter free agency alongside seasoned players Latavius Murray and Leonard Fournette. Additionally, Hines got released by the team as a measure to save on salary cap costs.
Other Additions Could Be Made by Bills.
Although Johnson’s anticipated performance provides the Bills with a dependable back who possesses qualities comparable to Cook, insiders speculate that they will also acquire an additional power-running back. Joe Buscaglia from The Athletic projected that A.J. Dillon, a former running back for Green Bay Packers, could be well-suited and reasonably priced for this role.
Buscaglia suggested that the Bills may be looking for a more powerful veteran runner, leaving Dillon with a smaller role this season. He noted that at 247 pounds and some pass-catching skills, Dillon could fill in as an unpredictable short-yardage back on offense. Due to the expected decline in running backs’ market during free agency, Buscaglia also believed that the Bills could potentially sign him at a reasonable price.
Even though the Bills had two hefty runners, Murray and Fournette on their roster last year, they frequently relied on Josh Allen to make gains in several instances of short-yardage. However, this is expectedly not a permanent strategy for the team as coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane have underlined reducing the frequency at which Allen gets tackled.
