Bills Re-Sign Anthony Thomas (Updated)

With a gaping hole at running back after the trade of Willis McGahee, the Bills began to fill that void by re-signing veteran Anthony Thomas (right). According to NFL Network's Adam Schefter, the A-Train agreed to a two-year deal worth $2.8 million, with a $400K signing bonus. The story was broken on BuffaloBills.com by Chris Brown, and can be read here.

The importance of this re-signing cannot be underestimated. The Bills needed some continuity in their backfield - the prospect of having only Shaud Williams as a holdover from last year's stable of backs was a bit scary. Thomas is a dependable veteran who does nothing extraordinary but everything well. It is very likely that the team will use Thomas in a dual-back role with a mid-round rookie such as Antonio Pittman or Brandon Jackson. It is also possible the team could sign a low-level free agent to compete for a job as well.

Thomas will be especially valuable this year because he has experience in Steve Fairchild's offensive system, and because of his prowess in blitz pickup. Thomas will be a much bigger part of the offense in '07, and I expect the group to be much more consistent because of it.

Brown Down to Buffalo or Detroit?
A report from FF LiveWire indicates that the agent of free agent running back Chris Brown is claiming that the runner is deciding between Detroit and Buffalo as possible landing spots. The Titans are also interested, but according to the agent, have not made themselves players for Brown's services.

To me, this is a very fishy situation. First off, if Brown had been happy with the offers he'd received from either the Bills or Lions, he'd have a new home already. Detroit is all but out for him - the Lions have 4 running backs already in Kevin Jones, Tatum Bell, T.J. Duckett and Brian Calhoun. My theory is that Brown wants to re-sign in Tennessee, and that this story is a ploy by his agent to get the Titans to move quickly in re-signing the veteran.

I would love to see the 25-year-old Brown in a two-back role with the A-Train. But at this point, I would bet the house that Brown and his agent are playing mind games with the Titans so that Brown may return to Tennessee.