Bills' Devin Singletary Ranks Near Bottom of NFL Starting RBs
Another subjective position ranking has hit the internet, and it's not particularly encouraging for the Buffalo Bills.
According to analyst Maurice Jones-Drew, who was an NFL running back for nine seasons, Buffalo's Devin Singletary ranks 31st among the 32 projected starting running backs across the league this year.
Only Myles Gaskin of the Miami Dolphins ranks behind Singletary.
Here's Jones-Drew's reasoning:
The Bills have had a real problem with their run game and they need a reliable player at the position. Devin Singletary and Zack Moss have each had their moments but neither player has shown any consistency. Right now, Josh Allen is the best rusher on the team. That really bothers me as a former running back. The Bills' backfield really needs to step it up, and Singletary has the most experience. The time is now.
Singletary, of course, may not even be Buffalo's top back this season. Moss could overtake him, which he had appeared to do last season before an ankle injury landed him on the injured reserve list. The Bills also added free agent Mattt Breida and have Taiwan Jones, Christian Wade and Antonio Williams battling for time as well.
Singletary's production (151 carries, 775 yards, 5.4-yards-per-touch) as a rookie third-round draft pick in 2019 was better than last season, when he finished with 687 yards on 156 carries (4.4 yards per carry) and an average of 4.9 yards on 194 touches.
Moss, drafted in the third round last year, was starting to get more work than Singletary by the end of the regular season and earned his first career start in Buffalo's playoff victory over Indianapolis. Alas, he was carted off in that game, and the Bills turned back to Singletary as their workhorse the rest of the way.
So the running-back battle promises to be one of the most intriguing in training camp this summer, especially after general manager Brandon Beane's comments after the season that the Bills don't really have a "home-run hitter" at the position.
Beane did not add any rookie backs but did sign free agent Matt Breida, who may be the fastest player in the league. He was clocked in 2019 at 22.3 miles per hour during an 83-yard touchdown run against the Cleveland Browns. At the time, it was the fastest time recorded by a ballcarrier since the start of the previous season.
For Bills Mafia members seeking any consolation, there's this: None of the backs in the AFC East are ranked higher than 28th. That's where the Jets' Tevin Coleman falls. The Patriots' Damien Harris is right behind him at 29.
Nick Fierro is the publisher of Bills Central. Check out the latest Bills news at www.si.com/nfl/bills and follow Fierro on Twitter at @NickFierro. Email to Nicky300@aol.com.
