Running backs are a dime a dozen.

It’s something everyone who follows the NFL has heard before and there may be some truth to the statement. The Buffalo Bills entered the 2019 offseason with LeSean McCoy as their lead back. The team added veterans Frank Gore and T.J. Yeldon in free agency before eventually drafting Devin Singletary in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

By the end of the summer, McCoy, Buffalo’s most well-known player, was released. Frank Gore handled the workload early in the season, but by the end of the year it was Singletary who was Buffalo’s lead back.

And it wasn’t just in Buffalo. This year’s Super Bowl featured the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers. Damien Williams led the way for the Chiefs on the ground with 104 yards and one touchdown. In a losing effort, San Francisco had Raheem Mostert go for 58 yards and a score on the ground. Both backs were former undrafted free agents.

Entering 2020, the Bills have Singletary as their lead back, but the team will need to find a complement for the back. Frank Gore is not expected to return and it’s too early to say if Yeldon is the answer. Buffalo could find a complement in the middle rounds of the draft or sign a back in free agency, but trading for a back is another option.

One name to consider? Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson.

Why Johnson? Adding the veteran could have an additional perk or two.

Here are four reasons why the Bills should consider adding the back.

Buffalo has the cap space

The idea of the Bills adding Johnson was first proposed by Hayden Winks of Rotoworld. As mentioned by Winks, Buffalo has the cap space to take on Johnson’s deal.

The Colts, Dolphins, Bills, or Bucs should trade for David Johnson.



They'd get a Cardinals draft pick in exchange for taking on the DJ contract and these teams have a ton of cap space to handle it. pic.twitter.com/rsumKbQrrB — Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) February 14, 2020

As it stands, Johnson is due $14 million in 2020 and $12 million in 2021. Buffalo certainly has the cap space to take on the deal, if they wanted.

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio believes the Cardinals may even be willing to pay some of Johnson’s contract to move him this offseason.

“Cutting him is not an option,” Cardinals GM Steve Keim said Friday. “Not only the cap hit but you’re still paying the cash. It wouldn’t be responsible for me or the organization to do that. If David Johnson isn’t the starter, he still has a significant role. The guy still create big-time mismatches in the passing game. He still brings kick return ability. You can’t just have one back — you have to have a platoon of backs. There are enough carries to go around there."

Keim, of course, cannot come out and say that Johnson is on the trade block, but ideally the Cardinals would like to move him. Arizona wants to re-sign Kenyan Drake and a new deal would put a lot of Arizona’s cap space at the running back position.

What would the Bills get for taking on Johnson’s salary? See below.

The Bills could get a valuable draft pick or two back along with Johnson

According to Winks, a team trading for Johnson could receive a third and a fifth round pick along with the back. What would the Bills or another team have to send to Arizona in return? A seventh round pick.

The cap savings alone for the Cardinals would help the team.

Greg Tompsett of Cover 1 proposed a similar deal that would net the Bills a third round pick.

Bills GM Brandon Beane has stated on numerous occasions that his plan is to build through the draft. Adding an extra day two and/or day three pick in a draft full of talented wide receivers and high-ceiling offensive tackles is an intriguing idea.

Another weapon for Josh Allen

Brandon Beane did a good job adding talent to Buffalo’s offensive roster last season, but it was clear that the Bills still lacked weapons on offense. Johnson may not be the back he once was, but he’s still another weapon for Josh Allen in the backfield.

In addition to being a handcuff to Singletary as a back, Johnson is a tremendous receiver. Taking out the 2017 season in which Johnson only played one game, the back has averaged over 50.5 receptions and 538 yards per year.

Short-term complement to Devin Singletary

Devin Singletary is expected to be “the man” in the Bills backfield in 2020 and beyond. He still needs a complement, however.

David Johnson would be a tremendous asset to Singletary. Few players were better in open space than Johnson during his best years and Singletary could lean on and learn from the veteran much like he did Frank Gore in 2019.

Johnson, meanwhile, could look to resurrect his Buffalo. The Bills invested plenty of money into their training facility last year and it paid off with Buffalo being one of the healthiest teams in the league last season.

A one-two punch of Singletary and Johnson would benefit the Bills offense in 2020.

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