Fred's deal done
It took a while, but Bills running back Fred Jackson finally got the contract extension he was seeking. It is believed to be a four-year deal with roughly $2 million per year.
Jackson and the Bills had been at an impasse for several months. The Bills' initial offer wasn't anywhere near what Jackson felt he's worth to the team. The Bills weren't obligated to give Jackson a contract. He was an exclusive rights free agent, which meant the Bills were the only team he could negotiate with once they made the minimum ERFA tender offer of $460,000 for 2009.
But Jackson deserved a larger raise than that. He is coming off a terrific season (571 rushing yards with three TDs and 37 catches for 317 yards) and has emerged as one of the top backup running backs in the NFL. The running game didn't suffer much of a drop off when Jackson replaced starter Marshawn Lynch. In fact, there are a lot of people who think Jackson is better (for the record, I don't share that opinion).
With Lynch likely to serve a three-game NFL suspension, Jackson is expected to open the season as the starter. That made signing him to an extension a bigger priority.
The Bills could have tried to use the Dominic Rhodes signing as leverage, but they smartly recognized how important Jackson's all-purpose ability is to the team.
---Allen Wilson
