Devin Singletary with something to prove in contract year

Can Devin Singletary be the No. 1 running back on the Bills’ offense beyond this year? His rookie contract expires after this year and he’ll be an unrestricted free agent in 2023.

There are a lot of questions and there are many people with opinions on the Bills’ fourth-year running back. At times he has looked like a more than serviceable RB for the Bills, and at other times it feels like the position needs to be addressed. This led to fans wanting to select top running backs in the draft such as Travis Etienne and Breece Hall the past couple years, and also had fans clamoring for guys like TJ Yeldon and Matt Breida to see more playing time.

Towards the second half of last season, Bills’ fans could breathe a bit easier, however, as Singletary looked like “the guy”. He stepped up and became the clear cut No. 1 back with his receiving capabilities as well as his elusiveness and ability to make tacklers miss in the open field. As the season went on, Singletary stepped more into the light while Zack Moss fell back into the shadows.

It’s not a secret that Buffalo’s running game has struggled overall the past couple seasons, aside from Josh Allen of course, which is why many fans and media personnel believe that an upgrade at RB is exactly what Buffalo needs to push them over the hump. However, when you have an air attack and a unicorn at the QB position who can not only sling it, but also rush very effectively, the ground game becomes less and less important. In fact, both Allen and Singletary were among the top four in rushing yards in the league through the first two weeks of the 2021 Playoffs.

The Bills’ offensive game plan last year oftentimes consisted of “trying to establish the run”, and more often than not, it was not an effective strategy. It was best to just let Allen have the ball in his hands and air it out. Even if teams saw it coming, it was tough for them to stop.

With the addition of RB James Cook in second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, it brings a lot of added pressure onto Singletary to perform and not make the Bills so one-dimensional like they have been in previous years. This is Singletary’s boom or bust year, and with young fresh legs such as Cook right behind him on the depth chart, I think it would be likely the Bills move on from Singletary after this year if they don’t see a spark from him that ignites the offense.

Singletary has shown that he is capable of being a No. 1 RB. The question is, can he do it on a consistent basis and with Cook, an elusive dual-threat rookie, looming over his shoulder. It’ll be interesting to see how Dorsey utilizes his RBs this year and if he can use them more effectively than Brian Daboll did. Singletary has a big chance to step up and secure the reigns as the lead back in one of the best offenses in the league. I’m hoping that he has a successful campaign in his fourth year and can provide the spark that Buffalo has been missing from the RB position. Because if he can’t, then his time in Buffalo, at least as the starting back, will be over.

“Motor” has proved he can be relied upon to play meaningful snaps for the Bills, but he’ll also now have something to prove in order to stay on the roster long term, because the way GM Brandon Beane sees it, there will always be competition on the loaded depth chart.