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Buffalo lands Dixon

Former 49er intriguing fit with ground-oriented Bills

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
YearTeamAttYdsAvgTD
2004Pittsburgh Steelers6182,4643.9916
2009New York Jets6072,7564.5421
2008Baltimore Ravens5922,3764.0120
2001Pittsburgh Steelers5802,7744.7817
2008Atlanta Falcons5602,4434.3623
2010Kansas City5562,6274.7213
2003Baltimore Ravens5522,6744.8418
2005Pittsburgh Steelers5492,2234.0521
2000Tennessee Titans5472,0843.8114
2011Denver Broncos5462,6324.8211
2011Houston Texans5462,4484.4818
2013Buffalo Bills5462,3074.2315
2003Denver Broncos5432,6294.8420
2007Tennessee Titans5432,1093.8817
2005Denver Broncos5422,5394.6825
2006Atlanta Falcons5372,9395.479
2012Seattle Seahawks5362,5794.8116
2010New York Jets5342,3744.4514
2004Denver Broncos5342,3334.3713
2005Atlanta Falcons5312,5464.7917
2002Miami Dolphins5302,5024.7224
2004New York Jets5272,3884.5315
2000Pittsburgh Steelers5272,2484.2719
2009Carolina Panthers5252,4984.7618
2004San Diego Chargers5252,1854.1624
2005Washington5252,1834.1615
2004Atlanta Falcons5242,6725.1020
2004New England Patriots5242,1344.0715
2002Atlanta Falcons5232,3684.5323
2012New England Patriots5232,1844.1825
2006San Diego Chargers5222,5784.9432
2007Jacksonville Jaguars5222,3914.5818
2003Carolina Panthers5222,0914.019
2005Dallas Cowboys5211,8613.5713
2000Oakland Raiders5202,4704.7523
2005Kansas City5202,3824.5826
2012Washington5192,7095.2222
2005Seattle Seahawks5192,4574.7329
2008Minnesota Vikings5192,3324.4915
2000Denver Broncos5162,3114.4821
2003Dallas Cowboys5151,9993.8811
2006Jacksonville Jaguars5132,5414.9523
2008New England Patriots5132,2784.4421
2006Kansas City5132,1434.1817
2010Jacksonville Jaguars5122,3954.6814
2002Pittsburgh Steelers5122,1204.1415
2000Baltimore Ravens5112,1994.309
2007Pittsburgh Steelers5112,1684.249
2002Tennessee Titans5111,9523.8216
2001San Francisco 49ers5092,2444.4116
2009Miami Dolphins5092,2314.3822
2013Seattle Seahawks5092,1884.3014
2008Tennessee Titans5082,1994.3324
2012Houston Texans5082,1234.1819
2007Oakland Raiders5082,0864.1111
2003Green Bay Packers5072,5585.0518
2000New York Giants5072,0093.9616
2013San Francisco 49ers5052,2014.3618
2001Dallas Cowboys5052,1844.328
2000New Orleans Saints5052,0684.1014
2009Cincinnati Bengals5052,0564.079
2010Oakland Raiders5042,4944.9519
2008Carolina Panthers5042,4374.8430
2006Chicago Bears5031,9183.8114
2008New York Giants5022,5185.0219
2005Jacksonville Jaguars5021,9593.9018
2013Philadelphia Eagles5002,5665.1319
2012Kansas City Chiefs5002,3954.799

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—Ian Allan

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