The Buffalo Bills have a number of speedsters on their roster, but it’s their best one who will return kicks to start the 2014 season. Coach Doug Marrone confirmed that running back CJ Spiller will be the team’s primary kick returner at least for Week 1, per the team’s website.
More from Buffalo Bills
- Damar Hamlin is a ‘full go’ at Bills training camp
- NFL rumors: Division rival could steal Dalvin Cook from Dolphins
- Bills RB to miss entire season after freak jet ski accident
- Bills fan hitched the luckiest ride home from Atlanta with Sean McDermott
- 3 best QB-receiver combinations in the NFL for the 2023 season
The big objection to having your top running back return kicks would be two-fold. You don’t want to exhaust your speedy skill players who play on offense after the return and you don’t want to expose them to injury. Marrone refuted both in defending his decision.
"“I look at it as how many guys have been injured returning the football compared to people injured with the ball being handed off to them,” said Marrone. “I don’t view it as much of a risk as some people would. I could understand why people could see that because of the distance and the way people are running down the field. But again I don’t look at it that way. As much as we can get our playmakers out there whether it be punt returns or kickoff returns we have to make sure we explore that.”"
This could also stem from the fact that Marrone and anyone else who has watched this Bills offense for one drive knows that there are lots of question marks surrounding E.J. Manuel and the first string offense, which didn’t score a touchdown against a starting defense in the entire preseason. If Spiller is bottled up in an offense constantly going three-and-out, then Marrone wants Spiller to be able to make plays elsewhere.
To his credit, Spiller was excited about the move. “It’s like second nature because I’ve done it so much my whole career. It comes naturally to me.”
C.J. Spiller had seven touchdown returns in Clemson, averaging nearly 28 yards/kick return in that span. Don’t expect numbers that lofty, but whatever kicks don’t result in touchbacks, expect Spiller to give a good go at returning.