Would Fred Jackson Extension Mean Stevie Johnson Is on His Way out of Buffalo?

Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson has become one of the most underrated backs in the NFL.

One person that isn't overlooking his importance to the team, though, is general manager Buddy Nix.

In fact, according to the team's official website, the Bills are looking to extend Jackson sometime this offseason. As we all know, though, there are several other free agents that may take priority over Jackson. He may have to wait until the ink dries on those deals before he gets to put the pen to his own paper.

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"It’s one of those things where I know I’ve got to be patient," Jackson said. "I had a conversation with Buddy and he said they’ll get it taken care of, but at the same time you just want it over with and done so you can stop worrying about it so you can focus on other things. When it happens, it happens."

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What are the ramifications?

That this news is just breaking now may, or may not mean anything for the future of Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson with the team.

Considering that money has been a big issue between Johnson and the Bills, it's not exactly a good sign that Nix is seemingly allocating money elsewhere before getting a deal done with their star wide receiver.

The price tag on Johnson may have been too steep for Buffalo anyway, and though wide receivers aren't always easy to replace, spending big money on them isn't the best way to build a Super Bowl contender.

That being said, the New York Giants proved the kind of impact a play-making wide receiver can have on the team.

Can they have both Jackson and Johnson?

Jackson has been important to the Bills offense, but it's not as though he's irreplaceable.

Just look at what C.J. Spiller was able to do when Jackson went down with an injury in Week 11. 

But in a high-flying offense like the one Chan Gailey runs, the Bills can use all the help at receiver that they can get. Of course, that help doesn't mean much without figuring out the situation at quarterback (and that is a very difficult situation at hand going into next season).

In that regard, the Bills have some decisions to make.

Fitzpatrick showed promise to start the season, posting a 67.7 completion percentage and a 97.8 passer rating in the first seven games.

His season took a nose dive after that however, completing just 58.2 percent of his passes and earning a passer rating of 66.5 in the process.

Whether the "Amish Rifle" is pulling the trigger for the offense or if it's someone else, their job will certainly be made a lot harder without talented skill position players like Jackson and Johnson, simply for how much they've meant to the offense as a whole over the course of the season.

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