The Bills signed Damien Harris yesterday, and I'm a fan of the move. It's not always that you can sign a 15-touchdown, just turned 26 years old running back a week into free agency. Harris didn't get a second contract in New England, but I think he's an underrated player, at a position of need for Buffalo.
Devin Singletary has been Buffalo's main back the last four years, but he's been more functional than an asset. There have been efforts to replace him, either at the goal line or as the main runner (Zack Moss) or in the passing game (James Cook, the briefly signed J.D. McKissic, Nyheim Hines).
Harris, meanwhile, battled injuries and fell behind Rhamondre Stevenson last year. But he's just a year removed from rushing for 15 touchdowns for the Patriots, one of the best running back seasons in that regard from the past decade. Just 14 times in those 10 years has a running back rushed for that many scores, and Harris did it on just over 200 carries. A rushing touchdown per every 13 attempts is one of the three best ratios from the last 10 years, among all 10-TD running backs.
Contrast that with Singletary, who's averaged just 4 rushing touchdowns over the past four seasons on his 168 carries per year -- that's a touchdown per every 42 attempts. Granted, he was playing with Josh Allen, who tends to account for a healthy percentage of his team's rushing scores each year. But Harris should be more of an asset in this regard than they were getting from Singletary, Moss or the team's other backs the last few years.
| 10-TD RUNNING BACKS, TDS/ATTEMPT (2013-2022) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Att/TD |
| 2020 | Alvin Kamara, N.O. | 187 | 932 | 5.0 | 16 | 11.7 |
| 2021 | James Conner, Ariz. | 202 | 752 | 3.7 | 15 | 13.5 |
| 2021 | Damien Harris, N.E. | 202 | 929 | 4.6 | 15 | 13.5 |
| 2018 | Alvin Kamara, N.O. | 194 | 883 | 4.6 | 14 | 13.9 |
| 2019 | Aaron Jones, G.B. | 236 | 1084 | 4.6 | 16 | 14.8 |
| 2018 | Todd Gurley, LAR | 256 | 1251 | 4.9 | 17 | 15.1 |
| 2022 | Jamaal Williams, Det. | 262 | 1066 | 4.1 | 17 | 15.4 |
| 2020 | Antonio Gibson, Was. | 170 | 795 | 4.7 | 11 | 15.5 |
| 2022 | Austin Ekeler, LAC | 204 | 915 | 4.5 | 13 | 15.7 |
| 2020 | Nick Chubb, Cle. | 190 | 1067 | 5.6 | 12 | 15.8 |
| 2016 | Latavius Murray, Oak. | 195 | 788 | 4.0 | 12 | 16.3 |
| 2016 | LeGarrette Blount, N.E. | 299 | 1161 | 3.9 | 18 | 16.6 |
| 2021 | Austin Ekeler, LAC | 206 | 911 | 4.4 | 12 | 17.2 |
| 2018 | Melvin Gordon, LAC | 175 | 885 | 5.1 | 10 | 17.5 |
| 2018 | James Conner, Pitt. | 215 | 973 | 4.5 | 12 | 17.9 |
| 2018 | Derrick Henry, Ten. | 215 | 1059 | 4.9 | 12 | 17.9 |
| 2016 | LeSean McCoy, Buff. | 234 | 1267 | 5.4 | 13 | 18.0 |
| 2015 | DeAngelo Williams, Pitt. | 200 | 907 | 4.5 | 11 | 18.2 |
| 2016 | David Johnson, Ariz. | 293 | 1239 | 4.2 | 16 | 18.3 |
| 2021 | Jonathan Taylor, Ind. | 332 | 1811 | 5.5 | 18 | 18.4 |
| 2019 | Todd Gurley, LAR | 223 | 857 | 3.8 | 12 | 18.6 |
| 2019 | Derrick Henry, Ten. | 303 | 1540 | 5.1 | 16 | 18.9 |
| 2019 | Christian McCaffrey, Car. | 287 | 1387 | 4.8 | 15 | 19.1 |
| 2017 | Mark Ingram, N.O. | 230 | 1124 | 4.9 | 12 | 19.2 |
| 2019 | Dalvin Cook, Min. | 250 | 1135 | 4.5 | 13 | 19.2 |
| 2022 | Ezekiel Elliott, Dall. | 231 | 876 | 3.8 | 12 | 19.3 |
| 2020 | Dalvin Cook, Min. | 312 | 1557 | 5.0 | 16 | 19.5 |
| 2019 | Mark Ingram, Balt. | 202 | 1018 | 5.0 | 10 | 20.2 |
| 2015 | Jeremy Hill, Cin. | 223 | 794 | 3.6 | 11 | 20.3 |
| 2016 | Devonta Freeman, Atl. | 227 | 1079 | 4.8 | 11 | 20.6 |
| 2020 | Jonathan Taylor, Ind. | 232 | 1169 | 5.0 | 11 | 21.1 |
| 2017 | Todd Gurley, LAR | 279 | 1305 | 4.7 | 13 | 21.5 |
| 2016 | Ezekiel Elliott, Dall. | 322 | 1631 | 5.1 | 15 | 21.5 |
| 2014 | Marshawn Lynch, Sea. | 280 | 1306 | 4.7 | 13 | 21.5 |
| 2013 | Jamaal Charles, K.C. | 259 | 1287 | 5.0 | 12 | 21.6 |
| 2021 | Derrick Henry, Ten. | 219 | 937 | 4.3 | 10 | 21.9 |
| 2020 | Derrick Henry, Ten. | 378 | 2027 | 5.4 | 17 | 22.2 |
| 2021 | Joe Mixon, Cin. | 292 | 1205 | 4.1 | 13 | 22.5 |
| 2020 | Josh Jacobs, L.V. | 273 | 1065 | 3.9 | 12 | 22.8 |
| 2015 | Todd Gurley, St.L. | 229 | 1106 | 4.8 | 10 | 22.9 |
| 2022 | Miles Sanders, Phil. | 259 | 1269 | 4.9 | 11 | 23.5 |
| 2021 | Ezekiel Elliott, Dall. | 237 | 1002 | 4.2 | 10 | 23.7 |
| 2018 | Saquon Barkley, NYG | 261 | 1307 | 5.0 | 11 | 23.7 |
| 2020 | Kenyan Drake, Ariz. | 239 | 955 | 4.0 | 10 | 23.9 |
| 2015 | Devonta Freeman, Atl. | 265 | 1056 | 4.0 | 11 | 24.1 |
| 2013 | Knowshon Moreno, Den. | 241 | 1038 | 4.3 | 10 | 24.1 |
| 2019 | Ezekiel Elliott, Dall. | 301 | 1357 | 4.5 | 12 | 25.1 |
| 2013 | Marshawn Lynch, Sea. | 301 | 1257 | 4.2 | 12 | 25.1 |
| 2022 | Nick Chubb, Cle. | 302 | 1525 | 5.0 | 12 | 25.2 |
| 2016 | Melvin Gordon, S.D. | 254 | 997 | 3.9 | 10 | 25.4 |
| 2013 | Eddie Lacy, G.B. | 284 | 1178 | 4.2 | 11 | 25.8 |
| 2022 | Derrick Henry, Ten. | 349 | 1538 | 4.4 | 13 | 26.8 |
| 2013 | Adrian Peterson, Min. | 279 | 1266 | 4.5 | 10 | 27.9 |
| 2022 | Josh Jacobs, L.V. | 340 | 1653 | 4.9 | 12 | 28.3 |
| 2022 | Saquon Barkley, NYG | 295 | 1312 | 4.4 | 10 | 29.5 |
| 2015 | Adrian Peterson, Min. | 327 | 1485 | 4.5 | 11 | 29.7 |
| 2014 | DeMarco Murray, Dall. | 392 | 1845 | 4.7 | 13 | 30.2 |
Harris' arrival throws some cold water on any idea of a breakout season for James Cook. He'll be the back of choice in passing situations, but unlikely he has a big role as a ballcarrier, or near the goal line. Cook is listed at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds (Nyheim Hines, the other possibility, is at 5-foot-8 and 198), compared to 5-foot-11 and 213 pounds for Harris. Maybe the team gives Cook, their second-round pick a year ago, a chance at the starting job, but I think Harris will be more effective atop the depth chart. Should be Harris leading this backfield, with Cook and perhaps Hines mixing in.
Singletary, incidentally, also signed yesterday, with the Houston Texans. They'll have one of last year's more impressive rookies, Dameon Pierce, as their main back, with Singletary a change-of-pace and maybe getting some work in passing situations. If you've got Pierce in a dynasty league, I don't think this is particularly threatening news. Houston was always going to have a second option at the position, and there's little chance of Singletary being much more than that.
--Andy Richardson