PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Fred Jackson is the starting running back for the Buffalo Bills -- and a pretty good one, too. Backup C.J. Spiller also is a former first-round pick who could start at running back for plenty of teams.
Two good rushers and only one football equals a big choice for Bills head coach Chan Gailey.
"That's a great problem to have by the way -- to have two great players," Gailey said Tuesday at the NFL owners meetings. "I don’t know how you do that. I know one thing: They're both not going to be totally happy with the touches that they get."
Buffalo didn't handle this situation too well last season. Jackson was on a tear and received about 80-90 percent of the carries. Spiller, meanwhile, was relegated to receiver duties and just a few carries per game.
But once Jackson broke his leg midseason, Spiller showed what he could do. He received a bulk of the carries and rushed for 446 yards in the last six games. Now, how does Buffalo carve out roles for two players who proved they can lead the charge?
"There is only one football, and you got several guys who can make plays," Gailey said. "Everybody is not going to be happy. That's part of it. So, you do the best you can to try to use C.J. and Fred in different ways to get them the ball, because they're capable of making big plays when they have the ball in their hands."
Some have mentioned Buffalo working out a 50-50 split next season. Gailey said he's not worried about that.
"If I want to sit there and chart how many carries each guy gets, then take him out when he gets his number and put the other guy in, yeah you can do that if that’s what’s most important," Gailey said. "But I don’t think that's the most important thing. The most important thing is to win and try to get two good players the ball."