Doug Whaley: "Work to be done" in C.J. Spiller negotiations

With speculation swirling that Chan Gailey and the division rival New York Jets might come calling when free agency begins, the Buffalo Bills are currently negotiating with free agent running back C.J. Spiller - though it does not sound like the two sides are anywhere near a point where a deal might happen.

"We're further apart (with Spiller) than we are with Jerry Hughes," general manager Doug Whaley said on Friday morning on The Howard Simon Show.

"The last time I talked to Jim Overdorf and Russ Brandon, they met with those guys yesterday, and they’re going to continue to keep talking," Whaley explained. "We’re going to put our best foot forward, and hopefully we can come to a resolution."

The Friday morning update came after Whaley, in speaking with local Bills beat reporters, admitted that a gap existed between the two sides - and that the team would have to move on if it can't be bridged.

"We hope we can close the gap and get the deal done," Whaley said (via Syracuse.com). "But if it’s not, we’re gonna have to (move on), but we hope we don’t have to. There’s going to be some work that has to be done, but I have confidence that we’ll each come to the table with an open mind and we’ll try to get a deal done that’s great for both sides."

The 27-year-old Spiller, a fifth-year pro and the team's first-round draft pick in 2010, is coming off of a 2014 season in which he missed half the year with a broken collarbone, and was largely ineffective on the field when healthy. With the Bills shifting to more of a power-running orientation on offense under head coach Rex Ryan and offensive coordinator Greg Roman, Spiller may feel more comfortable placing himself in an offense that's better geared to his talents in a more wide-open offense.