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Today, on August 13, 2014, Buffalo Bills GM Doug Whaley was asked about persistent trade rumors regarding running back C.J. Spiller. This was his response, via Matthew Fairburn of Syracuse.com:
"We have not been contacted by any team about C.J. Spiller," Whaley said. "These rumors are news to me, and it's exciting for you guys I guess because it gives you something to fill the newspaper with. You know I'm a straight shooter. We have not been contacted by any teams."
"I can probably see where people see our depth at running back and try to connect the dots with teams that don't have depth, but again, no one has talked to us," Whaley said.
On December 30, 2013, Whaley was asked about the status of wide receiver Stevie Johnson, a player that he would trade less than five months later after acquiring Sammy Watkins and Mike Williams via trade. This was his response in the days following the close of the 2013 season:
"He's under contract, and we expect him to be here," Whaley said succinctly early in yesterday's year-end press conference.
"I was taken aback by the question," Whaley said. "I mean, we have him under contract, we expect him to be here. I was kind of amazed by why that would be a subject to ask."
Trade rumors regarding Spiller have persisted for several weeks now, re-ignited by a Jason La Canfora column and perpetuated by, well, fans continuing to notice that the Bills employ four NFL-caliber running backs and that Spiller is entering a contract year. Maybe Whaley isn't lying about Spiller today; then again, he probably wasn't lying about Johnson in December, either.
Buffalo could use Spiller. He's the top running back on the depth chart, and the top playmaker for an offense that needs as many as they can field as the development of EJ Manuel continues. Perhaps if Spiller hires an agent, the team will even discuss a new contract for him. But if a team does contact the Bills about Spiller, it's probably worth keeping in mind that Whaley is a trading machine.