BY DAN BEGNOCHE
With word that both Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller are now officially out for a number of weeks following a pair of injuries in Week 7, the Buffalo Bills bolstered their thinning unit by signing running back Philip Tanner Tuesday.
Tanner, a former undrafted free agent, joins the Bills after a three-year stint in Dallas, where he saw 183 total snaps, according to ProFootballFocus. At 5-foot, 10-inches tall and 217 pounds, the 26-year-old out of Middle Tennessee State is the smallest back on the roster.
Tanner's averaged 2.7 yards per carry since he entered the league, though he had only nine carries all of last season while working as part of the Cowboys' practice squad.
The acquisition comes on the heels of Spiller's designation to the Reserve/Injured, Designated for Return list, which bars him from returning to action for at least eight weeks.
As Chris Brown pointed out Tuesday, that means the fourth-year back wouldn't be eligible to play until Buffalo's trip to Oakland, two weeks before the end of the regular season. He won't be able to practice with the team until Week 14.
Spiller, however, was optimistic on Twitter Tuesday after the news broke, saying he believes the team will be in a position to make a push for the playoffs when he returns, and that he has full faith in Anthony Dixon and Bryce Brown as they fill in for he and Jackson.
