Getty Zack Moss rushes the ball in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Buffalo Bills training camp started with what could be a good omen for Zack Moss.
After a strong rookie season in 2020, Moss struggled in his sophomore season and some insiders believed he could be hovering around the edge of the roster bubble as the team opened camp at St. John Fisher University near Rochester. But The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia noted that the team still seems to have a lot of faith in Moss, and it was evident as practices started this week.
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Moss Working With First Team
After having Moss and fellow running back Devin Singletary split carriers for much of the last two seasons, the Bills added some competition for this year. They used the No. 63 overall pick in the NFL Draft to take Georgia running back James Cook, and signed veteran Duke Johnson in the offseason.
But Moss still remains near the top of the depth chart, Buscaglia reported.
“The general expectation surrounding the Bills’ backfield is that it will be the Devin Singletary and James Cook show, with Zack Moss being a game-day inactive,” he wrote. “In practices like these, actions speak loudest, and Moss receiving ample time working with Allen through the first two practices shows he isn’t as far behind as some might think.”
Moss had a strong start to his career, rushing for 481 yards with four touchdowns and a 4.3-yard-per-carry average his rookie season. After an injury in the playoffs that year that cut his season short and hounded him through the offseason, Moss rushed for just 345 yards on a 3.6-yard-per-carry average in 2021.
Devin Singletary had the highest rushing grade among all Running Backs on Wild Card weekend (84.8) 🔥
Moss was inactive four times, and down the final stretch of the season and through the playoffs Singeltary emerged as the primary ballcarrier and a receiving threat out of the backfield. Through the final five weeks of the season, he averaged 97 yards from scrimmage and helped the Bills win four straight games to close out the regular season, clinching the AFC East.
Opportunity for Moss in 2022
After becoming the team’s best running back for a stretch late in the 2020 season, Moss seems to have a chance to earn that role back, Buscaglia pointed out.
“They likely believe there is still some talent there and that he could bring a different element to the backfield than Singletary or Cook,” he wrote. “Given Singletary’s expiring contract and Cook’s rookie status, Moss has a clear chance to make this a three-person backfield.”
Zack Moss finds the end zone for the third time in two weeks
Moss led the Bills in rushing and had 91 total yards
Katherine Fitzgerald of the Buffalo News noted that Moss’s role could depend at least in part on how the team plans to fit Cook into the offense. The rookie is a more accomplished pass-catcher than Moss or Singletary, and the Bills have spoken about the importance of finding players who can get more yards after the catch, a weakness in the last season.
But even if Cook does end up getting more touches, there is still a place for Moss, Fitzgerald added.
“If Cook’s versatility allows him to quickly carve out a role, Moss’ playing time could shrink. Still, Moss’ physical style does differentiate him, and he has two years remaining on his rookie contract,” she wrote.
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