NFL free agency is open and CJ Spiller is expected to be a main target for teams on the market, as the Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, NY Jets and Philadelphia Eagles have all shown reported interest in the former Buffalo Bills running back and he has said he is going to take time to see what option are out there after the Bills traded for LeSean McCoy.
--UPDATE: The Eagles have signed Ryan Mathews to a three year contract.
Spiller is one of the top free agents on the market at running back with Reggie Bush and DeMarco Murray and he could fit with a number of teams after leaving Buffalo. The Bills informed Spiller that he would not be coming back after the McCoy trade and now NFL.com reports that at least six teams could be interested in signing him. Pro Football Talk reports that Spiller is in "no rush" to sign and will let the market develop before joining a team.
Spiller is coming off of an injury and that could give some teams caution, but all reports at the end of the season had him healed up. Spiller is 27 years old and is teetering on that age when running backs break down, but he has not had as much wear and tear as other players his age. The Giants were interested before signing Shane Vereen and some have pointed to that deal as an idea of where Spiller could end up. Vereen signed a three-year, $12 million contract with $5 million guaranteed and that could be in the wheelhouse for Spiller.
According to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport, the move of Vereen has the Patriots interested in Spiller, as they have "inquired about" the running back. Reggie Bush has also been mentioned as a target for the Patriots, as Vereen is now gone and Stevan Ridley is expected to be allowed to walk in free agency. The Dolphins were considered an early option for Spiller, but according to Armando Salguero on Twitter, the team is not currently looking at him.
The Dolphins just signed Ndamukong Suh and have other needs, so the RB position could be on the backburner for now. Spiller is an interesting option for both the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, as both NFC East teams have needs at the position. The Cowboys are hoping to bring DeMarco Murray back, but that may not end up happening and if he leaves, Spiller could be a target for Dallas.
The Eagles are looking like a possible landing spot as well, as they had Frank Gore in on a deal before he backed out and they just traded LeSean McCoy. Spiller likely would be a solid fit for Chip Kelly's offense, as he can catch passes out of the backfield and has big play potential. The Eagles may also look at Murray, but right now things are not close on any deal.
Spiller comes in after playing in nine games last season and rushing for 300 yards and making 19 catches for 125 yards. That was a disappointing year for Spiller, as he had 927 yards and 33 catches the year before. Spiller's best season was in 2012 under Chan Gailey when he had a career best 1244 yards rushing, 43 receptions and 459 yards while averaging 6.0 yards per carry. The Jets have Gailey as their offensive coordinator now and that could make Spiller a potential target.
