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Does Bryce Brown have a future with the Buffalo Bills?

By Curtis Marcaccio

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With CJ Spiller likely lost in free agency, the Buffalo Bills will head into the offseason with three NFL quality running backs on their roster in Fred Jackson, Anthony Dixon and Bryce Brown. The Bills were ranked 25th in the NFL in total rushing yards, and 27th in yards per attempt, so there is no doubt that the Bills need to improve their running game.

After trading for Brown during last year’s draft, it was clear that the Bills would be a run heavy team. Unfortunately for Brown, he saw himself inactive for the majority of the first half of the season, as he was unable to move ahead of Dixon on the depth chart. When he got the chance to play, he was effective at times in the pass game, but tended to struggle running the ball behind the Bills sub-par offensive line.

In his first season as a Bill, Brown finished with 36 carries for 126 yards, averaging 3.5 yards per attempt. He also hauled in 16 catches for 176 yards; however, Brown was mostly remembered for his costly lost fumble in week ten versus Kansas City. At just 23 years of age, Brown still has lots of milage left in him, but can he prove that he can be an effective running back at the NFL level?

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The strongest part about Brown’s game is his speed. When he gets into the open field, he is almost impossible to catch, let alone tackle. At 6’ and 220 pounds, Brown possesses great size to be a dominant back in the NFL. Another aspect of his game where he excels is in the passing game. For a running back, Brown has a great set of hands, and can be effective in both catching the ball from the backfield or lining up wide.

When it comes to the blocking aspect, Brown has never really been tested too much; however when his number has been called, he has done a fine job. Brown possesses a quality that is essential for running backs, and that is vision. He does an exceptional job at finding the right holes while running the ball, and can make defenders miss. Despite the lack of carries this past season, it will be interesting to see how Brown will perform with more carries.

You may be wondering what the negative qualities of Brown’s game is, since it seems that he does most things pretty well. But if Brown wants to stay in the NFL, he must improve his ball protection. One of the main reasons as to why the Eagles parted ways with the promising Brown was the fact that he couldn’t hold onto the ball.

In his first year in the NFL, Brown accumulated four fumbles on just 115 carries. Although this past season, he only had one fumble on 36 attempts, the fumble ultimately costed the Bills the game, handing over momentum to the Chiefs. If Brown wants more carries, he needs to protect the ball much better, especially when running in the open field. When watching Brown run, it’s quite obvious that he has a very loose, unprotected grip on the ball, and it is very easy for a defender to strip it out.

There is no doubt that Brown has the skill set to be a dynamic NFL running back. He has shown glimpses of greatness; however, he has also shown on some plays that he doesn’t belong in the NFL. If Brown can fix his fumbling issues, then there is no doubt he will be a very good back.

The Bills will use Brown much more in the coming season. Matched with fellow backs Jackson, and Dixon, the Bills have quite a nice trio at their disposal, with a solid mix of size and speed. The Bills will not miss Spiller one bit. It is yet to be seen whether or not the Bills will use a draft pick on a running back, but regardless, they will be in a good position with Brown in the mix heading into the 2015 season.

Next: Jake Locker an option for Bills?

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