The Buffalo Bills dodged a bullet on Wednesday when an MRI revealed that the hamstring injury LeSean McCoy suffered in practice isn't serious enough to keep him out of action in the regular season. McCoy was the team's crown jewel of the offseason, and his absence leaves the Bills hurting for running back help.
Bills reportedly considering Ray Rice in the wake of LeSean McCoy’s hamstring injury
Rex!
Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
In addition to McCoy, the Bills are missing Fred Jackson (hamstring), Bryce Brown (hamstring), Karlos Williams (medical) and Boobie Dixon (calf). The injuries have left the team short on running backs for practice reps and their last three preseason games.
The only players who are healthy enough to practice right now are Bronson Hill and Ricky Seale, a pair of undrafted rookies. Seale, who had just 23 carries in his senior season at Stanford, was signed by the Bills on Tuesday and could play as much as a half in the team's preseason game against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday.
They added Cierre Wood on Wednesday morning, a former Texan who was cut by the organization in 2013 for violating team rules during a road trip to Kansas City.
One potential solution for the team's shredded depth at running back is to sign a veteran who can immediately fill in, take reps and challenge for a roster spot. And in true Rex Ryan fashion, that veteran could be Ray Rice. According to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports, Rice is being discussed by the Bills as a potential addition. However, Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News says the Rice talk is premature:
Nothing happening w #Bills & Ray Rice as of now, according to a team source.
— Vic Carucci (@viccarucci) August 19, 2015 The Bills have already started to assemble the NFL's version of DC Comics' Suicide Squad under Ryan, uniting the league's villains in the same uniform. If Rice was added to the roster, he'd join a team that already has IK Enemkpali, Richie Incognito and Percy Harvin.
Rice hasn't played since the 2013 season when he started 15 games for the Baltimore Ravens, but finished with just 660 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He was released last September by the Ravens after video showed him punching his then-fiancé and knocking her unconscious.
Despite Rice’s attempts to rehabilitate his image and find a new team, he still hasn’t found one willing to take a chance on him -- at least not yet.
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