Jackson's role in the new Buffalo offense remains unclear, but coach Rex Ryan sees the veteran as a contributor, BuffaloBills.com reports. Said Ryan, "First I think Fred is in great shape. So I think he's got some tread on that tire still. The thing you notice immediately about Fred, smart, he picks things up extremely well. He's picked up our offense extremely. Still valuable as a threat out of the backfield, great blitz pickup and by the way he can still run the football. Now we'll use him. We're not going to say this is his role, it's clearly too early to define roles that way. Obviously LeSean came in here to get the majority of the carries. That's no secret, but Fred can be very valuable for us."

The team has also talked about LeSean McCoy being a bell cow back, one that could see over 300 carries in a run-heavy offense. Still, coaches have always loved Jackson because of his fantastic all-around game and his leadership, so there's a chance the 34-year-old could end up as the clear-cut No. 2 running back by the time all is said and done in training camp.

Jackson will likely make the final roster, according to ESPN's Mike Rodak.

Given his modest contract and significant contribution last season, Jackson seems like an excellent bet to stick around in Buffalo for at least one more year. However, he said in June that he expects he'll have to compete for a roster spot, adding that he doesn't know what kind of role the Bills will have available for him. He's right that he'll probably have to settle for a reduced role working behind LeSean McCoy, but Jackson's spot with the team may be safer than he thinks. Chris Brown of the Bills' official website also believes Jackson is unlikely to be cut.

Jackson said he expects he'll have to compete for a roster spot, the Bills' official website reports. "We'll see what happens with me getting cut or not," Jackson said. "I'll go out and do whatever I can to make sure that doesn't happen. We've got to compete every year. This year is no different than any other year. I've got to go out and compete for my job."

The Bills can save approximately $2.5 million by releasing Jackson, who may face competition from Karlos Williams, Bryce Brown and Anthony Dixon for a roster spot. Jackson's comments aren't necessarily off base, but he was a solid contributor last season, and is one of the more popular players in the organization. Even with C.J. Spiller swapped out for the more durable LeSean McCoy, the Bills can probably find a way to make use of Jackson's diverse skill set.

Jackson expects LeSean McCoy to get 300 carries and is thus uncertain about his own role in the offense, WGR 550 reports. "I don't know exactly what my role is going to be," Jackson said. "They say that they want Shady (McCoy) to get 300-plus carries next year. So that's a guy you're feeding the ball all the time. So I''ll be ready when my number is called."

Bills running backs coach Anthony Lynn said he'd like to see Jackson's workload cut roughly in half, after the veteran had 141 carries and 66 receptions on 548 snaps last season. McCoy is clearly expected to get most of the carries, but it's possible Jackson could still handle most of the third-down work. McCoy was once among the league's most prolific receivers at his position, but he caught 28-of-37 targets for just 155 yards and no touchdowns for the Eagles last season.

Bills running back coach Anthony Lynn said he'd like to see Jackson's workload cut roughly in half this season, The Buffalo News reports. Said Lynn, "I think he wore down a little bit at the end of the season. If we could take half of that off his plate, I think you're going to see a fresher Fred Jackson and a more explosive Fred Jackson."

Jackson had 548 snaps last season, much of that due to the C.J. Spiller injury. He also averaged a career-low 3.72 yards per carry. But with Jackson being 34 this season and with LeSean McCoy prepared to be the feature back, he's not going to be nearly as big in the offense unless McCoy gets hurt. Right now it sounds like the Bills see Jackson as a versatile veteran and possible third-down back.

Jackson has not yet been cleared for participation in the Bills' voluntary offseason conditioning program because he is among the team's players who is bouncing back from an unspecified offseason procedure, the team's official site reports.

Coach Rex Ryan relayed Monday that the same applies to Dan Carpenter, Anthony Dixon, Stephon Gilmore, Chris Gragg, Chris Hogan, Leodis McKelvin, Sammy Watkins, Aaron Williams, and Chris Williams, though he suggested that they will all be "ready to roll at training camp." Jackson, who turned 34 in February, is in line this coming season to compete with the likes of Bryce Brown and Dixon for work behind the team's new top back, LeSean McCoy.

Following the latest offseason activity, Jackson remains with the Bills amid reports that he's been told the team plans to have him in the mix for next season.

There were also reports the Bills wanted the Jets' Bilal Powell. That may have spelled the end of Jackson's time with Buffalo, but Powell re-signed with New York while C.J. Spiller will sign elsewhere. That means the veteran Jackson, who turned 34 last month, should have a chance to compete with Bryce Brown, Anthony Dixon, and perhaps one other player for carries behind bell cow back LeSean McCoy, whom the Bills officially acquired Tuesday.

Jackson had 18 carries for 58 rushing yards and one catch on three targets for four receiving yards during Sunday's win over the Patriots.

While his production was down from last season, Jackson was the most consistent running back for the Bills yet again, finishing with 141 carries for 525 yards and two touchdowns, while also catching a career-high 68 passes on 91 targets for 501 receiving yards and another score. 1,026 yards from scrimmage in 13 games from the 33-year-old was surely an aggressive projection at the beginning of the season, and it could be enough to warrant another one-year contract extension like he signed in July. With C.J. Spiller headed to free agency, it's entirely possible that Jackson continues his run with the Bills next year.

Jackson rushed six times for just 10 yards during Sunday's loss to Oakland, but made up for it in the passing game with nine catches for 93 yards.

Jackson actually has more receiving yards (497) than rushing yards (467) this season, but his overall totals aren't bad at all for a 33-year-old. That's a career high in receiving yardage for Jackson, something he has a decent chance of adding to if the Bills find themselves behind the Patriots in the season finale.

Jackson's teammate C.J. Spiller appears set to return to action this week from a collarbone injury that has sidelined him since Week 7,

Jackson received 20 carries last week in the win over Green Bay, and while the matchup against the Raiders could prove to be a juicy one, Spiller could get in the way a bit if the Bills want to give the exciting player some work.

Jackson had 20 carries for a season-high 71 rushing yards and three catches on six targets for 27 receiving yards during Sunday's win over the Packers.

Jackson co-led the team in targets with wideout Sammy Watkins, one week after he had a team-high 14. The Bills' passing game has struggled of late, and they could rely on Jackson again in Week 16 against the Raiders, who are allowing the ninth-most rushing yards per game, while only six teams have allowed more rushing touchdowns.

Jackson had eight carries for 35 yards and caught 10-of-14 targets for 37 yards in Sunday's 24-17 loss at Denver.

Even though the final score was close, the Broncos led by 21 points in the second half, limiting Jackson's opportunities as a ball carrier. He was gold for those that play in PPR leagues though, easily posting a season high in catches. He'll have an easier matchup next week, at least on paper, facing an ordinary Packers' rush defense.

Jackson had 21 carries for 70 yards and caught 3-of-4 targets for 27 yards in Sunday's 26-10 win against Cleveland.

Jackson appears to be mostly over his previous groin injury, as he saw 15 more carries than Boobie Dixon. While he didn't bust any big plays -- his long rush was just eight yards -- the heavy workload is encouraging for the future. Next up for Jackson and the Bills is a trip to Denver.

Jackson (groin) was not listed on the injury report following Wednesday's practice.

Jackson had 10 carries for 32 yards and a touchdown while adding three receptions for 13 yards on four targets in Monday's win over the Jets. We'd expect that workload to increase in the coming weeks as he moves past the groin issue and the Bills fight for a playoff spot. Just keep in mind he might be playing on slippery surfaces the last five games, and if the team does get eliminated they could ease the reins on the veteran.

Jackson (groin) had 10 carries for 32 yards and a touchdown, adding three receptions for 13 yards on four targets, in Monday's 38-3 win over the Jets.

The workload was split between three running backs, but Jackson got a somewhat better share than the final stats indicate, as he was the only one rested in the fourth quarter. Anthony Dixon had 12 carries for 54 yards and a touchdown, but with a bunch of those totes -- including a 30-yard touchdown -- coming after the outcome was determined. Bryce Brown added six carries for 20 yards, with only two of those carries occurring in the fourth quarter. Dixon caught his only target for an eight-yard gain, while Brown surprisingly wasn't targeted. Assuming no setbacks with his groin, Jackson should be the strongest choice among Buffalo's three running backs for a favorable Week 13 matchup with the Browns. However, the three-back committee puts somewhat of a cap on his ceiling.

Jackson (groin) is listed as active for Monday's game against the Jets.

This was expected, but at least now you can feel better about using the veteran running back if you took the chance he'd play in what has become the penultimate game of Week 12. We'll be watching Jackson's usage closely now that he's at least healthy enough to return after missing last week's loss to the Dolphins, though for this one we expect Bryce Brown and/or Anthony Dixon to get a number of looks as well.

The Bills expect Jackson (groin) to play in Monday's game against the Jets, ESPN.com reports. "We're planning on him to be ready to go," coach Doug Marrone said Saturday. "Just take the injury and that's how we have to list it to protect ourselves."

While officially questionable, Jackson was able to on a limited basis Friday and Saturday and Marrone's words suggest there's little chance the 33-year-old will be inactive come Monday. It seems likely the Bills will give Jackson as much work as he can handle, but he's averaging just 3.00 yards per carry over his last three games and will face a Jets defense Monday that ranks fourth in the league against the rush (83.2 yards per game).

Jackson (groin) will be listed as questionable for this week's game against the Jets, which is being played in Detroit on Monday, Joe Buscaglia of WGR550.com reports.

The Bills understandably have an odd practice schedule leading up to the game, so assuming Jackson is able to participate on some level later Saturday, we'd feel pretty good about him suiting up for the Monday night game.

Jackson (groin) was able to practice Friday without difficulty. Said the running back, "It felt good out there today. I didn't have any setbacks."

Jackson owners should get one more update following a Saturday afternoon practice now that the team has finally been able to get to Detroit and try to salvage a workweek. We're pretty sure Jackson will suit up this week, though we also think the Bills will mix in Bryce Brown and Boobie Dixon even if Jackson is fit to start.

This week's game for Jackson (groin) and the Bills against the Jets has been moved to Detroit due to a snowstorm and will now be played Monday night at 7pm ET.

This gives Jackson an extra day to heal after missing last week's loss to the Dolphins, though it probably puts owners in an extra predicament, since those who start him will now have to fly blind instead of having the benefit of the early Sunday start. Jackson was scheduled to practice on a limited basis Thursday had there been one, so we at least feel pretty good about his return this week. However, we're not comfortable that he's ready for a full workload yet, especially given that Bryce Brown and Anthony Dixon have been playing pretty well. However, at least Jackson willl get the benefit of a nice dry, indoor field this week compared to what would have been a slippery sheet had the game been played in Buffalo.