After being inactive for the Saints in Week 1, running back C.J. Spiller is reportedly looking for a new team.
Being a healthy scratch for the first regular season game this past Sunday was not a good sign for C.J. Spiller.
It now makes even more sense, as the New Orleans Saints have reportedly cut the back after a little over one year in the Big Easy.
Spiller was brought in by the Saints before the 2015 season on a four-year, $16 million deal and was mightily disappointing. He averaged just 3.1 yards per carry on 36 attempts. He also accumulated 236 yards receiving along with two touchdowns.
Source: the Saints have cut RB C.J. Spiller.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) September 13, 2016
The writing was on the wall for Spiller once he was ruled inactive this past weekend at the last minute. As reported by ESPN, head coach Sean Payton gave a vague explanation as to why Spiller was a scratch, saying, “It was just one of these games where we knew [Travaris] Cadet was gonna have a big role in his position. And it really just came down to the numbers.”
The move shows that the Saints are confident in their depth at running back, and they should be as they had six on the roster, including Spiller. Mark Ingram is the starter, Tim Hightower is backing him up, and Travaris Cadet did a great job in Week 1. There simply was no room on this team for Spiller, especially given his ineffectiveness.
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The good news for Spiller is that he’s fully healthy (he’s struggled with injuries in the past) and he should garner a solid amount of attention from teams across the league. Payton had even complimented Spiller’s play in the preseason, but his mind may have changed since then.
Back in 2010 at the NFL combine, Spiller clocked in at 4.27 seconds in the 40-yard dash. You’ve got to think that he still has some of that speed and can provide big play ability for another team.