Bills Remain in Search of RB after J.D. McKissic Changes his Mind

They had an agreement worked out, but no contract could be signed until Monday afternoon, giving McKissic time to reconsider.

The Buffalo Bills suffered a blow in free agency Monday when running back J.D. McKissic backed out of a reported two-year agreement with them as an unrestricted free agent to re-sign with the Washington Commanders.

McKissic, according to reports, had agreed on Tuesday to a two-year contract that could have been worth as much as $8 million. But because he was an unrestricted free agent who hadn't been released by Washington, he had to wait until the official start of the new NFL league year on 4 p.m. Wednesday to sign. Over the the next 24 hours, he changed his mind.

The veteran back would have been a key component in the Bills' passing offense because of his 76% career catch percentage with more than a representative sample size of 254 targets.

McKissic has caught 193 passes for 1,501 yards and seven TDs. He caught a career-high 80 passes in his first season with Washington in 2020. He followed that up with 43 catches in 11 games last season, when he earned an impressive receiving grade of 76.2 from Pro Football Focus

The Bills have allowed running backs Matt Breida and Taiwan Jones to hit free agency and are unlikely to bring either one back, leaving them with a void they will need to address in free agency and/or the NFL Draft next month.

They thought they had McKissic until he reversed course.

Among the free agents they could turn their attention to now are Leonard Fournette (Tampa Bay Bucs), Cordarelle Patterson (Atlanta Falcons) and Raheem Mostert (San Francisco 49ers).

Like McKissic, Fournette would be a force for them in the passing game, though he would cost more and probably won't be available anyway, because once Bucs quarterback Tom Brady changed his mind about retiring, there is a much greater possibility of getting the band back together in Tampa.

At 6-2, 220 pounds, Patterson is a converted wide receiver who is coming off career highs of 52 catches, 548 yards and five TD receptions. So there's all kinds of versatility there. He also is an explosive kickoff returner who's taken eight back for touchdowns and has led the league in yards per return three times.

Mostert would bring pure speed but durability issues. He's played just nine games over the previous two seasons and missed all but one game last year at age 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.