The Bills signed Anthony Dixon. I’m not crazy about him. I don’t think he has a good enough overall game (not fast enough) to ever be used super extensively. Part of role, I think, will include playing on special teams and maybe some at fullback.
But Dixon is worth mentioning, and he could play more than I’m expecting and more even than the Bills are expecting. And I think he might be a key part of their goal-line offense at some point. San Francisco used him some in that role. When we last saw Dixon, he was going over the top for a 1-yard touchdown at Seattle in the NFC Championship game.
The Bills have Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller at tailback, of course, but Jackson is 33 years old. He’s getting way up there. And Spiller is a smaller, speed back who’s had problems staying healthy. They didn’t use Spiller at all in goal-line situations last year.
Also note that the Bills want to run the heck out of the ball. They led the league with 546 running plays last year – the most by any team since 2011.
That’s doubly unusual, considering the Bills were just a 6-10 team. Below are all teams in this century (since 2000) that have run the ball 500 times. Of the top 50 teams on this list, only one other one finished with a losing record (Atlanta in 2006, and that was a quarterback helping out with over 1,000 yards).
I doubt that I’ll draft Dixon in any league I’m in, but I can’t rule out the possibility that he might wind up punching in about 7-8 TDs.
TEAMS WITH 500+ RUSHING ATTEMPTS SINCE 2000 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Team | Att | Yds | Avg | TD |
2004 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 618 | 2,464 | 3.99 | 16 |
2009 | New York Jets | 607 | 2,756 | 4.54 | 21 |
2008 | Baltimore Ravens | 592 | 2,376 | 4.01 | 20 |
2001 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 580 | 2,774 | 4.78 | 17 |
2008 | Atlanta Falcons | 560 | 2,443 | 4.36 | 23 |
2010 | Kansas City | 556 | 2,627 | 4.72 | 13 |
2003 | Baltimore Ravens | 552 | 2,674 | 4.84 | 18 |
2005 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 549 | 2,223 | 4.05 | 21 |
2000 | Tennessee Titans | 547 | 2,084 | 3.81 | 14 |
2011 | Denver Broncos | 546 | 2,632 | 4.82 | 11 |
2011 | Houston Texans | 546 | 2,448 | 4.48 | 18 |
2013 | Buffalo Bills | 546 | 2,307 | 4.23 | 15 |
2003 | Denver Broncos | 543 | 2,629 | 4.84 | 20 |
2007 | Tennessee Titans | 543 | 2,109 | 3.88 | 17 |
2005 | Denver Broncos | 542 | 2,539 | 4.68 | 25 |
2006 | Atlanta Falcons | 537 | 2,939 | 5.47 | 9 |
2012 | Seattle Seahawks | 536 | 2,579 | 4.81 | 16 |
2010 | New York Jets | 534 | 2,374 | 4.45 | 14 |
2004 | Denver Broncos | 534 | 2,333 | 4.37 | 13 |
2005 | Atlanta Falcons | 531 | 2,546 | 4.79 | 17 |
2002 | Miami Dolphins | 530 | 2,502 | 4.72 | 24 |
2004 | New York Jets | 527 | 2,388 | 4.53 | 15 |
2000 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 527 | 2,248 | 4.27 | 19 |
2009 | Carolina Panthers | 525 | 2,498 | 4.76 | 18 |
2004 | San Diego Chargers | 525 | 2,185 | 4.16 | 24 |
2005 | Washington | 525 | 2,183 | 4.16 | 15 |
2004 | Atlanta Falcons | 524 | 2,672 | 5.10 | 20 |
2004 | New England Patriots | 524 | 2,134 | 4.07 | 15 |
2002 | Atlanta Falcons | 523 | 2,368 | 4.53 | 23 |
2012 | New England Patriots | 523 | 2,184 | 4.18 | 25 |
2006 | San Diego Chargers | 522 | 2,578 | 4.94 | 32 |
2007 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 522 | 2,391 | 4.58 | 18 |
2003 | Carolina Panthers | 522 | 2,091 | 4.01 | 9 |
2005 | Dallas Cowboys | 521 | 1,861 | 3.57 | 13 |
2000 | Oakland Raiders | 520 | 2,470 | 4.75 | 23 |
2005 | Kansas City | 520 | 2,382 | 4.58 | 26 |
2012 | Washington | 519 | 2,709 | 5.22 | 22 |
2005 | Seattle Seahawks | 519 | 2,457 | 4.73 | 29 |
2008 | Minnesota Vikings | 519 | 2,332 | 4.49 | 15 |
2000 | Denver Broncos | 516 | 2,311 | 4.48 | 21 |
2003 | Dallas Cowboys | 515 | 1,999 | 3.88 | 11 |
2006 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 513 | 2,541 | 4.95 | 23 |
2008 | New England Patriots | 513 | 2,278 | 4.44 | 21 |
2006 | Kansas City | 513 | 2,143 | 4.18 | 17 |
2010 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 512 | 2,395 | 4.68 | 14 |
2002 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 512 | 2,120 | 4.14 | 15 |
2000 | Baltimore Ravens | 511 | 2,199 | 4.30 | 9 |
2007 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 511 | 2,168 | 4.24 | 9 |
2002 | Tennessee Titans | 511 | 1,952 | 3.82 | 16 |
2001 | San Francisco 49ers | 509 | 2,244 | 4.41 | 16 |
2009 | Miami Dolphins | 509 | 2,231 | 4.38 | 22 |
2013 | Seattle Seahawks | 509 | 2,188 | 4.30 | 14 |
2008 | Tennessee Titans | 508 | 2,199 | 4.33 | 24 |
2012 | Houston Texans | 508 | 2,123 | 4.18 | 19 |
2007 | Oakland Raiders | 508 | 2,086 | 4.11 | 11 |
2003 | Green Bay Packers | 507 | 2,558 | 5.05 | 18 |
2000 | New York Giants | 507 | 2,009 | 3.96 | 16 |
2013 | San Francisco 49ers | 505 | 2,201 | 4.36 | 18 |
2001 | Dallas Cowboys | 505 | 2,184 | 4.32 | 8 |
2000 | New Orleans Saints | 505 | 2,068 | 4.10 | 14 |
2009 | Cincinnati Bengals | 505 | 2,056 | 4.07 | 9 |
2010 | Oakland Raiders | 504 | 2,494 | 4.95 | 19 |
2008 | Carolina Panthers | 504 | 2,437 | 4.84 | 30 |
2006 | Chicago Bears | 503 | 1,918 | 3.81 | 14 |
2008 | New York Giants | 502 | 2,518 | 5.02 | 19 |
2005 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 502 | 1,959 | 3.90 | 18 |
2013 | Philadelphia Eagles | 500 | 2,566 | 5.13 | 19 |
2012 | Kansas City Chiefs | 500 | 2,395 | 4.79 | 9 |
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—Ian Allan