Buffalo Bills sign free agent running back T.J. Yeldon as smart depth option

The Buffalo Bills continued to add competition to their offence, with the addition of free agent running back T.J. Yeldon.

After a fairly poor showing in 2018, the Buffalo Bills have added yet another piece to their offence in the form of running back T.J. Yeldon.

Yeldon joins the Bills after spending the first four seasons of his career playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who originally selected him in the second round (36th overall) of the 2015 draft.

After being drafted by the Jaguars, Yeldon served as the team’s starter in the backfield for the 2015 season – rushing for 740 yards, averaging 4.1 yards per attempt and earning two touchdowns.

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The 6-foot-1, 223lbs running back has, however, spent the majority of his career as the team’s backup – most recently serving under Leonard Fournette.

Drafted out of Nick Saban‘s monstrous Alabama Crimson Tide program, Yeldon has proven to be a fairly decent backup option with some added value as a pass catcher.

Since entering the league, Yeldon has caught 171 passes for 1302 yards, earning himself six touchdowns through the air – four of them coming in 2018 alone.

With the Bills adding veteran rusher Frank Gore to the backfield alongside LeSean McCoy, many may have viewed the running back position as one that required very little attention.

The addition of Yeldon gives the Bills another option along the ground as well as boosting their offensive options in the passing game – building up a nice core of weapons for sophomore quarterback Josh Allen.

With Chris Ivory being released by the Bills, Yeldon is likely to sit third on the Bills’ depth chart, behind McCoy and Gore.

Despite this, Yeldon’s flexibility on offence could see him play a significant amount of time for the Bills, with his move to Upstate New York arguably being the best decision of his career to date – with Buffalo being a team that could truly benefit from his skill set.

Signing Yeldon to a two-year deal is a sensible decision by the Buffalo Bills, who will be able to see what they have in the Alabama native and can look to develop his role within the team over a longer period of time.

What do you think Bills Mafia? Are you pleased to see the team add yet another flexible offensive weapon? How excited are you for the team’s 2019 campaign? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!