Despite strong ‘07, Bills’ Jackson still a wild card

By Connor Byrne  |   Monday, May 26, 2008  |  Comments( 18 )

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For all 32 NFL teams, it seems at least one player seemingly comes out of nowhere to fare surprisingly well every year. Last season for the Buffalo Bills, it was running back Fred Jackson, a 26-year-old rookie in 2007. Jackson played football in one anonymous place after another prior to '07, starring at Division III Coe College (Iowa) before becoming the United Indoor Football League's MVP and a standout in NFL Europa. When he finally got his opportunity on the biggest stage, the NFL, Jackson certainly didn't disappoint.

Jackson's terrific year with the Bills began during the preseason, when his stellar play practically forced the coaching staff to retain him. During the team's four-game exhibition schedule in August, the 6-foot-1, 215-pounder emerged as a legitimate threat as a runner and receiver, and he was a favorite security blanket of then-backup quarterback Trent Edwards. When Edwards took starter J.P. Losman's job later in the regular season, it came as no surprise Jackson was once again one of the rookie passer's go-to guys. Jackson finished with 22 catches for 190 yards during the season, and his most memorable receiving moment came during a November win against the Washington Redskins. On the play Jackson ran a slant route across the middle of the field and blew past middle linebacker London Fletcher en route to a 54-yard catch and carry that was instrumental in Buffalo's 17-16 victory.

Aside from his receiving prowess, Jackson showed a great deal of potential as a ball carrier, amassing 300 yards on just 58 tries (an impressive 5.2 yards per rush). His best on-the-ground showing came against the Miami Dolphins in a December blowout, when Jackson racked up a prodigious 115 yards on just 15 attempts. It was during that game when fans truly began to realize their team potentially had an elite-level pairing in the backfield (starter Marshawn Lynch also eclipsed the century mark).

(In front of Jackson, Lynch accrued over 1,100 yards and seven touchdowns during his own rookie year in 2007.)

With the 2008 season drawing nearer, the question is: Can Jackson carry over his late-season performance from '07 into the upcoming campaign? It's hard to say; after all, he's not going to sneak up on anyone this time. Even after a great preseason last summer, Jackson was still trapped on the depth chart behind now-departed veteran Anthony Thomas and then-rookie Dwayne Wright, a 2007 fourth-round pick, for a large chunk of the year. Not until Week 12, a 36-14 loss to Jacksonville, did Jackson earnestly receive a chance to play from the coaching staff; that game, Jackson piled up 65 all-purpose yards on only 10 touches, and the Bills were confident enough to keep him as Lynch's primary backup for the remainder of the season.

Now, entering Jackson's sophomore NFL season, he will actually be dealing with real expectations. The native Texan is the No. 2 back going into the summer, but there's obviously nothing stopping the two runners behind him -- Wright and rookie sixth-round pick Xavier Omon -- from mimicking Jackson and having eyebrow-raising preseasons this year. If Jackson stumbles like Thomas did last season while either Wright or the ultra-promising Omon steps up and forces the coaching staff to take notice in July and August, the toast-of-the-town backup might become a forgotten entity sooner than later.

Of course, there's not necessarily anything stopping Jackson from becoming one of the league's most reliable reserve backs, especially during a contract year. Without doubt, Jackson will be auditioning for big money every time he touches the ball this season. It worked in 2006 for the Redskins' Ladell Betts, who ran for 1,100-plus yards and caught 53 passes while spelling starter Clinton Portis and then signed a five-year, $11 million contract after the season with the team as a result.

Perhaps a similar fate awaits Jackson, or maybe he'll simply fade back into obscurity. The Bills are certainly hoping the former scenario comes to fruition.

*E-mail: cbyrne@realfootball365.com
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CommentsComments: 18  |  Sign Up  View all comments
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No.1
ba bye		10:59 AM
05/26/2008
Conner: This column is a nice surprise. I agree that Fred was a nice surprise against the Redskins and Dolphins. There was no...
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No.2
11:57 AM
05/26/2008
Lynch; Jackson; Wright; and rookie, Omon. Is there any other position as set as RB on this team ? Yaboty to Cleveland for a 2nd...
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No.3
ba bye		12:26 PM
05/26/2008
Amir: When I lived there I listened to WPHD on the radio. They ran a commercial for a place called The Mighty Taco. Sound of a...
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