Kansas City Chiefs sign running back C.J. Spiller
After a well-traveled 2016 season, C.J. Spiller has landed with the Kansas City Chiefs.
After a disappointing 2015 season with the New Orleans Saints and being a healthy scratch for Week 1, C.J. Spiller was released. He then landed with the Seattle Seahawks in late September, playing in two games before being cut roughly a month later. Spiller was then signed by the New York Jets, reuniting with offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, and played in four games for them before being waived in early December.
After totaling just 12 touches in six combined games last season, Spiller’s NFL career is clearly on the skids. But with free agency on the horizon, and teams looking for bodies to get through early offseason work in a couple months, he has found a new home.
The #Chiefs have signed RB C.J. Spiller.
— RIP Terez A. Paylor (@TerezPaylor) February 24, 2017
Spiller was once one of the most promising running backs in the NFL, as he topped 1,200 rushing yards, caught 43 passes and averaged 6.0 yards per carry for the Buffalo Bills in 2012. But he’ll turn 30 in August, so a passing down role is where Spiller fits now. Amid a bad full season for the Saints in 2015, it’s easy to miss that he had 34 receptions in a minimized role as he dealt with a knee issue.
The Chiefs have solid running back depth, with Spencer Ware, Jamaal Charles, and Charcandrick West already in place. But Charles is coming off another season shortened by a knee injury, and he has played just eight games over the last two seasons. He’s already 30 years old, and with the possibility to save nearly $6.2 million in salary cap space , the Chiefs could easily cut Charles.
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Spiller comes with the same durability issues Charles does, but at a fraction of the cost unless Charles agrees to take a significant pay cut. Charles is presumably fully healthy, since he apparently could have returned late last season if not for a roster spot crunch. But Spiller is a fallback option for the same role, at a point in the offseason where extra bodies can easily be carried.