The Buffalo Billswould like to furnish a contract extension to running back Fred Jackson at some point, but don't expect any progress this week.
With the NFL draft days away, the front office is fully absorbed, and Jackson understands. He was present for the start of Buffalo's voluntary offseason conditioning program Monday and doesn't harbor any plans of a holdout.
"It's just not the time," Jackson told the Bills' official website. "This week, they have the draft coming up. That's what they're focusing on. I'll just continue to be patient and see what happens.
"It's like I've said all along, I think something will get done. (General manager) Buddy (Nix) said that they want to get something done, so I'll just continue to put faith in that."
Jackson, 31, is set to make $1.95 million in the final season of the four-year deal he signed with the Bills in 2009. Teams have developed an allergic reaction to handing lucrative extensions to post-30 running backs, but Jackson's heavy production last season makes him a priority for Nix and the front office. Jackson was more productive than ever during his fifth season in Buffalo, racking up 934 yards before fracturing his fibula in Week 11.
If there was a positive to Jackson's absence late in the season, C.J. Spiller made his case for a steady spot in lineup -- but not as a featured back. Jackson should be 100 percent by the start of the season, and the Bills would like him back. We'd expect a deal done before training camp.
