2:31pm: Spiller’s four-year contract is worth $18MM, with $9MM in guaranteed money, including a $5MM signing bonus, according to Getlin (via Twitter). The deal could also void after three years, depending on the running back’s performance.
1:29pm: The Saints have officially announced the arrival of Spiller (Twitter link).
11:53am: As they finalize a deal with the Dolphins to send Kenny Stills to Miami, the Saints have added a piece to their offense. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that the club has agreed to terms with running back C.J. Spiller, who will join a backfield that also features Mark Ingram and Khiry Robinson. It’s a four-year deal for Spiller, per Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
Spiller, 27, spent his first five NFL seasons in Buffalo after being selected by the Bills with the ninth overall pick in the 2010 draft. He showed flashes of brilliance during those five years, particularly in 2012, when he racked up 1,244 rushing yards on 6.0 yards per carry, earning a spot in the Pro Bowl. However, his final season with the Bills was marred by injuries, and it became clear the team wouldn’t bring him back after the LeSean McCoy trade.
In New Orleans, Spiller will join a Saints offense that figures to look very different in 2015. While the team decided to retain Ingram, an unrestricted free agent, Jimmy Graham has been traded to the Seahawks, and Stills is on the verge of being dealt to the Dolphins. According to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (via Twitter), the Saints are telling their traded players they’re going all-in on building a defense, but the team appears to have found some wiggle room to add one more offensive piece in Spiller.
The addition of Spiller, who ranked 26th on PFR’s list of top 50 free agents, almost certainly eliminates the possibility of the Saints bringing in Reggie Bush, who had received some interest from his old team.