Earlier tonight news broke of a big-time NFL trade….
Filed to ESPN: Bills have notified LB Kiko Alonso he is going to be traded to Philadelphia for RB LeSean McCoy. Trade official next week.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 3, 2015
LeSean McCoy has spent his entire six year career with the Philadelphia Eagles. In those six years he eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark four times including rushing for 1,319 yards last season. In his career as a member of the Eagles he has almost 7,000 yards rushing, over 40 rushing TDs, 300 receptions and 10 TD receptions.
Kiko Alonso was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2013 in the second round and had a combined 159 tackles in his rookie season as well as two sacks and four interceptions. Alonso missed last season after tearing his ACL.
So why would the Eagles get rid of a back that had been so productive?
The Eagles‘ willingness to part with McCoy is a stunner on the surface, but this is essentially a salary dump in which the return value is a young linebacker with Pro Bowl potential.
Chip Kelly was reluctant to devote $11.95 million in cap space to McCoy after watching the 26-year-old’s production drop from 5.1 yards per carry and 10.4 yards per reception to 4.2 and 5.5, respectively.
After being phased out of the passing game in favor of Darren Sproles early in the season, McCoy forfeited short-yardage work to Chris Polk down the stretch. In other words, McCoy was too often on the sidelines in critical situations.
One of the biggest surprises has to be the quickness in which this trade happened…
One Bills source told Silver the trade talks took all of 20 minutes from start to finish.
I wonder what C.J. Spiller thinks of the trade?
“I’m pretty sure that Chip (Kelly) has my agent’s phone number so I’m pretty sure we might have to make a call over there,” he said.
With the Eagles now apparently in the market for a #1 running back, will they answer the phone when CJ’s agent calls?
[NFL]
