A.J. Howard

Bills Worked Out RB Alex Collins

By Ben Levine | at December 14, 2019 9:03 am

The Bills had some notable names in for workouts on Friday. Buffalo auditioned running back Alex Collins and kicker Kaare Vedvik, according to ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques (and passed along by Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com). Running back Ricky Ortiz and defensive backs A.J. Howard and Chris Johnson also worked out for the Bills.

A fifth-round pick of the Seahawks in 2016, Collins broke out the following season after making his way onto the Ravens’ active roster. In 15 games (12 starts), Collins posted 973 yards and six touchdowns on 212 carries, good for 4.6 yards per attempt. He also finished eighth in Football Outsiders‘ success rate, which measures how well a running back helps move the sticks.

He struggled a bit in 2018, and his season ended with him being placed on the injured reserve. This year, Collins was recovering from a broken leg, and he was slapped with a three-game ban after pleading guilty to two misdemeanor charges for possession of a handgun and possession of marijuana. We heard back in November that Collins was fully recovered and was no longer suspended.

Vedvik earned some hype as Justin Tucker‘s backup in Baltimore, and the Ravens traded him to the Vikings for a fifth-rounder back in August. The 25-year-old didn’t catch on with Minny, and his next stop with the Jets lasted only one game.

Ortiz, 25, appeared in 12 games (nine starts) last season for the Falcons, hauling in three catches. He spent part of the 2019 campaign on the Saints practice squad. Howard, a former undrafted free agent out of Appalachian State, hasn’t made his NFL debut despite spending time with six organizations. Johnson, 24, is an undrafted rookie out of Grand Valley State.