A former New England Patriots’ standout is staying in the AFC East, only this time he’ll be playing for one of their longtime rivals.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Buffalo Bills have signed running back Damien Harris to a one-year contract. The news came hours after Buffalo lost top rusher Devin Singletary to the Houston Texans in free agency.
The Alabama product was drafted in the third round (87th overall) by the Patriots back in 2019. Harris had a very limited role in his rookie year but enjoyed a more productive season in 2020, recording 691 rushing yards and two touchdowns in 10 games.
Harris had a career year for the Patriots in 2021, racking up 929 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. However, second-year back Rhamondre Stevenson took over as New England’s lead back and recorded 1,040 rushing yards.
Harris missed six games and finished 2022 with 462 yards and three touchdowns. With Stevenson taking over as New England’s lead running back, Harris became expendable.
Buffalo hasn’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since LeSean McCoy in 2017. The team has relied aplenty on dual-threat quarterback Josh Allen to carry the workload, but a more balanced attack would certainly go a long way in helping them get over the playoff hump.
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Singletary led Buffalo with 819 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Barring another notable addition to the RB room, it looks like Harris and second-year back James Cook will headline the Bills’ backfield in 2023.
