When the Buffalo Bills made the surprising decision to cut veteran running back and community pillar Fred Jackson last week, it raised quite a few eyebrows around the NFL, not just in surprise but also in interest. While Jackson, now a Seattle Seahawk, ultimately landed in a good position with a Super Bowl contender who may help him squeeze one final season of positive impact for a team with championship aspirations out of his well-worn body, a recent report suggests that the Seahawks weren't the only team to come calling on the versatile ballcarrier immediately after his release. In fact, the Seahawks weren't even the only Super Bowl XLIX combatant to dial his number as, per a report from Tim Graham of The Buffalo News, the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots had, along with the Seahawks, apparently contacted Jackson within an hour of his unexpected release.
The 34-year-old Jackson ultimately visited the Seahawks - he is said to be very close with Seattle's franchise running back Marshawn Lynch - and wound up signing a one-year deal for $900,000. With the Seahawks jettisoning the all potential, no production Christine Michael, Jackson is almost assured quite a few touches as Lynch's No. 2.
Of course, it's likely that Jackson would have seen just as many, if not more touches in New England. The Pats dropped Jonas Grey and are now set to enter the season with a running back depth chart topped by Brandon Bolden and James White. Dion Lewis was recently added and looks likely for a third-down receiving role, but there certainly would have been a role and touches for Jackson in the Pats offense.
And considering Patriots head coach Bill Belichick's history of wringing that final year or two of production out of the mostly broken down bodies of aging offensive skill players, it would have made ample sense for Jackson to pick New England.
But it seems in this case, the Pats actually lost - something neither the franchise nor their fans are all that accustomed to. And the guess here is they'll be just fine without him.
