Bills press conference. (Via @HannahBills)

The Buffalo Bills continued their impressive offseason on Monday, announcing that the team signed running back Fred Jackson to a two-year contract extension.

Jackson had one year remaining on his current contract, so the team limits their long-term risk, keeps Jackson from bolting after 2012 (or requiring a franchise tag), solidifies their ground game and keeps one of their most important offensive players happy. Jackson led the Bills in rushing the past three seasons.

"I always said I wanted to be here, and now I have that opportunity to be here," Jackson said at a team press conference announcing the extension Monday. "I'm glad this is over with and we can focus on playing football. We're doing some tremendous things here, and I think we can get a lot accomplished in three years."

Jackson has been an unsung hero for Chan Gailey's offense the past few years and was especially impressive in 2011, rushing for 934 yards in 10 games (nine starts) and 5.5 yards per carry before fracturing his fibula in Week 11 against the Dolphins.

"We've always said we're going to keep our good players, and we've done it again today," Bills GM Buddy Nix said. "So what we think [we got] is one of the best backs in the league."

Nix might be right -- my colleague Clark Judge was (correctly) touting Jackson as a potential MVP candidate when the Bills started the season hot, and it was a legitimate claim, if you weren't willing to simply cede the award to the undefeated Aaron Rodgers.

And, as Chris Brown of the Bills' official site points out, it's an important extension because it proves to players in the Buffalo locker room that if you work hard and produce at a high level, the team is willing to reward you.

Jackson's career high in rushing yards is 1,062, but his production comes with a couple caveats: he's gone over 900 rushing yards each of the last three years but has never started more than 13 games. That's no fault of his own and isn't always injury-related.

Additionally, Jackson has averaged 39 receptions and 343 receiving yards each of the last three years, and he has 17 total touchdowns during that span as well. He's an unheralded, all-around back who's had impressive production recently without suffering too much of a workload.

The Bills were wise to recognize his value and reward him for his hard work.

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