The Buffalo Bills did not acquire running back LeSean McCoy in a trade to have him splitting the rushing duties. According to McCoy’s teammate and longtime Bills’ running back Fred Jackson, the team has some pretty hefty plans for McCoy this season.
“I don’t know exactly what my role is going to be,” Jackson told WGR-AM. “They say that they want Shady to get 300-plus carries next year. So that’s a guy you’re feeding the ball all the time. So I’ll be ready when my number is called.”
As for Jackson, he was the lead ball carrier in 2014 with 141 carries resulting in 525 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He is sure to see a dip in production this season. Bills running backs coach Anthony Lynn reportedly claimed that they are going to cut Jackson’s carries in half “to produce a fresher Fred Jackson and a more explosive Fred Jackson.” (via the Buffalo News).
The question is now whether Jackson, 34, will even make the Bills’ final roster once training camp concludes. The team is stacked at the position with Bryce Brown, Anthony Dixon and fifth-round draft pick Karlos Williams.
Earlier in the year when McCoy joined the Bills, Jackson said Shady would have to fight to steal the starting job from him. It now appears that Jackson will have to fight just to remain on the team.
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