CJ Spiller didn't have the rookie season we expected. Especially considering his draft position and that he was Buddy Nix's first selection. Or was it really Gailey's idea? The rumor at the time was Gailey wanted a "scat back." We'll never know but since Nix is the GM, he gets the credit/blame for the pick. It's not like the experts disagreed with the pick. Spiller was definitely considered the top back in the draft. It was just a question why the Bills picked him when they had Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch on the roster already and they had about a million other needs.
Not every rookie transitions into the NFL quickly. In fact, a lot of guys turn out alright when they barely play in their first season and sit back and learn. It was abundantly clear how much they pulled back on Spiller after his first few performances. I'm guessing that digesting the playbook was a process that was a bit challenging for Spiller. Or maybe Gailey didn't trust Spiller enough that early in the season.
Either way, based on training camp THUS FAR, they are running a lot of screen plays and dump offs and I'm guessing a lot of those plays will be directed toward Spiller because of his ability to operate in open space. I think we're going to see what Gailey REALLY had in store for Spiller all along. Call me crazy but once Gailey realized Spiller had some work to do (i.e. Blocking, learning the playbook), I have this crazy idea that they didn't want to do too much with him last season. I know, it sounds crazy but the entire handling of Spiller last season was just a bit strange.
He definitely lost confidence as the season went on. You could notice it in his kick returns -- the hesitation. He also claims to be really comfortable with his old number, #28, which sounds ridiculous but athletes are strange.
We're going to find out everything we need to know about CJ Spiller this season. No more excuses. We'll find out how he handles year #2 in the NFL very soon and we'll know if he's a wasted early round pick or the blazer we expected him to be coming out of Clemson. I personally believe it's redemption time for Spiller. He seems like a really good kid who wants it pretty badly. That's a trend for most of our recent draft picks. They're self-starters. We need CJ Spiller to be a difference maker this year. Fred Jackson can still be the #1 guy but we all know Gailey's playbook isn't limited to pounding the rock with one feature back. You need more than that in this league. This is where CJ fits in - he can catch coming out of the backfield and he works well in open space. It's redemption time, CJ.
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