In the modern NFL, it’s quite rare to see a single running back handle a tremendous workload. Gone are the days where each team had a workhorse back who would be spelled occasionally by someone else. In 2017, LeSean McCoy was second in the NFL in carries with 287; only Le’Veon Bell of the Pittsburgh Steelers topped him with 321.
When McCoy was off the field last year, Buffalo’s offense sputtered immensely, which is why the Buffalo Bills invested in a veteran backup for the future Hall of Fame runner. In our latest installment of the “90 players in 90 days” series, we take a look at the newest addition to Buffalo’s backfield.
Name: Chris Ivory
Number: 33
Position: RB
Height/Weight: 6’0,” 223 lbs.
Age: 30
Experience: 9
College: Tiffin University (played 3 years at Washington State prior to transfer)
Draft: Joined the New Orleans Saints as a UDFA in 2010
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Ivory signed a two-year deal worth $5.5 million this offseason. In 2018, he’ll count $2,468,750 against the cap.
2017 Recap: Ivory spent 2017 backing up the number three overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft, Leonard Fournette. as a result, he had one of the worst years of his career. He rushed for 382 yards on 112 carries, which were his lowest totals in both categories since 2012. He averaged a career-low 3.4 yards per rush, but he did manage to haul in 21 of 28 targets for 175 receiving yards. He ran for 3 touchdowns on the season and added one more as a receiver.
Positional outlook: Ivory seems to be the clear-cut number two back in Buffalo for the 2018 season. His contract suggests that the team sees him in the plans for at least this year, as cutting him would result in a dead cap charge of $2.5 million. With McCoy as the top dog and a host of unknowns behind him (Taiwan Jones, Travaris Cadet, Marcus Murphy, and Keith Ford), Ivory is as close to a lock as there is on the roster.
2018 Offseason: Little has been written about Ivory beyond his introductory interview in March.
2018 season outlook: As long as Ivory proves to be more effective as a change of pace than the departed Mike Tolbert, Bills fans should be happy that he’s wearing red, white, and blue this fall. Ivory is a good yin to McCoy’s yang in terms of running style, so the partnership should work in the team’s favor. Add in the fact that Ivory is a capable receiver, and the Bills should have one of the league’s better one-two punches in the league this season.