HEADLINES

East Notes: Dolphins, Suh, Dez, Maclin, McCoy

March 4th, 2015 at 10:23am CST by Luke Adams

The Giants are right to consider making a run at Ndamukong Suh, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News writes. The Giants aren’t well-positioned to outbid anyone, but if they were able to pull it off, the team could have a pass rush to rival what they had in 2007 with Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, and Justin Tuck.

Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two East divisions, including one more item on Suh:

  • We heard the Dolphins mentioned as a possible suitor for Suh earlier this week, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk lays out the reasons why Miami actually may emerge as the favorites to land the star defensive tackle, with teams like the Raiders, Jaguars, Buccaneers being floated for potential leverage rather than as legit bidders.
  • Last week, former Dallas County DA Craig Watkins indicated that he had “no knowledge” of any 2011 Wal-Mart incident involving Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant, but a report of the incident did, in fact, make its way to his office about a year after the fact, as Florio explains at PFT.
  • It looked for a little while as if the Eagles and Jeremy Maclin were getting close to a new deal, but the two sides are farther apart now, and the wideout is starting to get “nibbles,” tweets Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports backs up this assessment, tweeting that there’s “work to be done” on the Maclin front for the Eagles.
  • While running back LeSean McCoy initially wasn’t thrilled about the trade that will send him to the Bills, a source tells McLane (Twitter link) that the veteran back is “ready to move on.” We rounded up several more updates on the reported swap between the Eagles and Bills earlier this morning.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap previews the Patriots‘ offseason, suggesting that it wouldn’t be a surprise if the team lets both of its free agent running backs – Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley – sign elsewhere.
  • Veteran safety Jordan Pugh, who last appeared in a regular season game for Washington in 2013, recently worked out for the Jets, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Agent Asks Texans To Cut Andre Johnson

March 4th, 2015 at 9:58am CST by Luke Adams

We learned earlier this week that the Texans have given veteran receiver Andre Johnson the go-ahead to seek a trade, but some reports around that time suggested it was the team’s idea to pursue a trade, rather than a request Johnson made. Agent Kennard McGuire essentially confirmed as much today, telling Pro Football Talk (Twitter link) that he has asked the Texans to cut Johnson. According to PFT, McGuire has not and will not try to seek a trade for his client.

The request from McGuire doesn’t necessarily mean Johnson will be cut instead of dealt — if the Texans could get anything of value for the wideout in a trade, I imagine that’s an option the team would pursue. However, taking into account Johnson’s exorbitant cap numbers for the next couple seasons, it seems unlikely that any club would meet Houston’s asking price. As such, asking for Johnson’s release could be McGuire’s tactic for avoiding a scenario in which no teams are willing to trade for his client. Of course, hitting the open market would also give the wideout the freedom to choose his next destination, rather than relying on the Texans to do so for him.

Johnson, who is entering his age-34 season, caught a team-high 85 balls in 2014, but that was his lowest total for a full season in about a decade. The former third overall pick also averaged just 62.4 yards per game, the third-lowest mark of his 12-year career. Houston reportedly asked Johnson to accept a reduced role in the offense going forward, which prompted discussion of a trade, and will almost certainly end the receiver’s time with the Texans.

Johnson is currently set to count for $16.145MM against the cap for 2015, though any team acquiring him would just be responsible for his $10.5MM base salary and $1MM roster bonus. Still, that’s a steep price to pay for a wideout entering his mid-30s. Houston could create $8.825MM in cap savings by releasing Johnson, even without designating him as a post-June 1 cut. That would mean the former Miami Hurricane wouldn’t receive his $10MM+ base salary, and would have to settle for a lesser amount, but he’d have the ability to pick his next team, likely opting for a contender with a stable quarterback situation.

Johnson’s $1MM roster bonus isn’t due until Week 1, so there’s no urgency for the Texans to resolve the situation immediately, but I’d be surprised if it dragged on for too long.

Offseason Outlook: St. Louis Rams

March 4th, 2015 at 9:34am CST by Luke Adams

Pending free agents:

Top 10 2015 cap hits:

  1. Robert Quinn, DE: $16,744,110
  2. Sam Bradford, QB: $16,580,000
  3. Chris Long, DE: $12,500,000
  4. Jake Long, T: $10,500,000
  5. Jared Cook, TE: $8,300,441
  6. Rodger Saffold, OL: $8,250,000
  7. Greg Robinson, T: $4,837,295
  8. Scott Wells, C: $4,750,000
  9. William Hayes, DE: $4,355,000
  10. James Laurinaitis, LB: $4,275,000

Notable coaching changes:

Draft:

  • No. 10 overall pick
  • Owe fourth-round pick to Buccaneers in deal for Mark Barron.
  • Owe sixth-round pick to Buccaneers in deal for Mark Barron.
  • Owe seventh-round pick to Falcons in deal for Alec Ogletree.
  • Acquired seventh-round pick from Patriots in deal for Greg Salas.

Other:

Overview:

Even in a hyper-competitive NFC West division, the Rams entered the summer of 2014 as a potential dark horse postseason candidate. The team didn’t have much offensive firepower to speak of, but the addition of Aaron Donald made the defensive line the scariest in the NFL, and pairing a healthy Sam Bradford with 2013 breakout running back Zac Stacy looked like it would, at the very least, make the offense competent.

That optimism quickly took a turn south though, when Bradford was sidelined for a second straight season with an ACL injury. Following Bradford’s injury, the hits kept on coming: the defensive line took some time to gel, Stacy wasn’t nearly as effective, second overall pick Greg Robinson had some growing pains as he adjusted to the NFL, and key contributors like Chris Long and Jake Long went down with injuries.

Given all that went wrong in St. Louis, it’s a little surprising the team even managed to win six games, but a disappointing 2014 season means the club could once again head into 2015 as a sleeper. Armed with another top-10 draft pick, the Rams are prepared to add more talent to a roster that already features a handful of promising young players. There are plenty of question marks – particularly on the offensive side of the ball, where the club looks set to give Bradford one more shot – but there are plenty of solid building blocks already in place.

Key Free Agents:

A pair of quarterbacks who started games for the team last season – Shaun Hill and Austin Davis – are eligible for free agency, and even with Bradford due back, I’d expect to see the club try to re-sign one or both of those signal-callers. Hill, who will be entering his age-35 season is the sort of veteran backup who can at least give a team a chance to win if its starter goes down — he had a respectable 63.3% completion percentage and an 83.9 passer rating in his eight starts last season, and should be fairly inexpensive.Sam Bradford

If the Rams prefer not to retain both quarterbacks, it may make more sense to bring back Davis. His numbers in his own eight starts were extremely similar to Hill’s across the board, and at age 25, there’s presumably some room for improvement. Davis is also a restricted free agent, so the club could tender him a one-year offer at an affordable rate, and perhaps put off a more permanent decision on his future with the club for another season.

Besides the quarterbacks, the offense has a few more notable free agents, with tight end Lance Kendricks, offensive tackle Joe Barksdale, and wide receiver Kenny Britt all eligible to hit the open market. The Rams initiated extension discussions with Britt’s camp quite early, which is a sign the club would like to bring him back, and that makes sense. The former first-round pick had a nice bounce-back season in 2014 after reuniting with Jeff Fisher, establishing a new career high with 48 receptions, despite catching balls from a pair of backup QBs.

Britt will almost certainly be more expensive this time around than he was a year ago, when St. Louis was able to ink him to a one-year, $1.4MM pact. But for an offense that’s a little thin on playmakers, spending a few million on a 26-year-old wideout with big-play potential (he averaged 15.6 yards per catch in 2014, right in line with his career mark) looks like a worthwhile investment.

Barksdale’s future in St. Louis, on the other hand, looks more uncertain. The veteran tackle is reportedly set to test the open market after three years with the Rams, and I’m not sure the club will aggressively engage in a bidding war to retain him. Even though offensive line is an area of need for the Rams, the team may view the right tackle position as the best fit for Jake Long, now that Robinson has assumed the left tackle role. If that’s the case, there may not be a spot for Barksdale, who hasn’t played a whole lot of guard since entering the NFL. On the other hand, if the Rams end up parting ways with Long, or deciding to try him at guard, locking up Barksdale would become a greater priority.

As for Kendricks, with $8MM+ already committed to No. 1 tight end Jared Cook, it seems unlikely that the Rams would be willing to spend $4MM on a second tight end, and that’s Kendricks’ rumored asking price. While he could be back, it wouldn’t surprise me if Kendricks signed elsewhere, and the Rams brought back restricted free agent Cory Harkey and perhaps added another tight end in the draft.

Among the Rams’ other free agents, safety Rodney McLeod looks like the only key player the team will absolutely make an effort to retain. Appearing in more than 1,050 defensive snaps in 2014, the 24-year-old continued to establish himself as a solid NFL starter, and the arrival of former first-round pick Mark Barron shouldn’t jeopardize McLeod’s role in the secondary. As a restricted free agent, McLeod will be eligible for a one-year tender, and I expect he’ll get one.

Possible Cap Casualties:

The Rams have already begun cutting ties with overpriced players, parting ways with defensive tackle Kendall Langford, who became expendable when Donald immediately established himself as one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL. Releasing Lanford created $6MM in cap savings for the club.

Next up? It may be Jake Long. As discussed earlier, the former first overall pick has been supplanted at left tackle by Robinson, and his $10.5MM cap number doesn’t really play anywhere else. Restructuring Long’s deal and trying him at a new position remains a possibility, but releasing him would save $8MM in cap room, which could be put toward signing one or two younger – and likely healthier – offensive linemen.

Elsewhere on the offensive line, Scott Wells looks like a logical cap casualty as well. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), among players who played at least 25% of their teams’ snaps in 2014, no center performed worse than Wells, who graded well below average as a run blocker and was even worse in pass protection. The 34-year-old is entering the final year of his deal, and cutting him would create $3.75MM in cap savings for St. Louis.

Among the other veteran players with sizable cap hits, defensive lineman Eugene Sims may also be on the chopping block. At around $3MM, it wouldn’t cost the Rams a whole lot to keep Sims in the mix, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the team chooses to do so, since he has been effective as a run stopper and can occasionally get to the quarterback. Still, he’s only a part-time contributor, and cutting him would clear nearly his entire cap number from the books — if the opportunity arises to add a cheaper replacement, I believe the team would explore that possibility.

Positions Of Need:

The Rams’ defense was once again its strength in 2014, ranking ninth in overall DVOA, according to Football Outsiders. With no key pending free agents set to hit the market, St. Louis is in fairly good shape on that side of the ball. Upgrading at linebacker and/or cornerback is a possibility this offseason, but it would be a luxury, rather than a necessity. For the most part, the team should focus on its offense, where a number of positions must be addressed.

First and foremost, the Rams will be on the lookout once again for a long-term answer at quarterback. A former first overall pick, Bradford was supposed to be that long-term solution, but injuries have limited him to just seven games in his last two seasons, and even when he has been healthy, his performance on the field early in his career has been up and down. Fisher and general manager Les Snead have spoken highly of the 27-year-old, with both men downplaying or outright dismissing trade rumors that swirled around at last month’s combine. Bradford also played a role in the team’s promotion of Frank Cignetti to offensive coordinator, and the hiring of Chris Weinke as quarterbacks coach, which is a sign that the club expects him to stick around.

It appears likely that Bradford will head into the 2015 season as the team’s No. 1 quarterback, assuming he’s healthy enough to do so, but it will be the final year of his contract, so the club will eventually have to decide whether to go in a different direction. Of course, if the team ultimately opts to replace Bradford with someone else, that replacement may not be added to the roster this offseason, given the lack of viable options on the free agent market and in the draft.

If the Rams don’t add a new quarterback this offseason, they can at least give their old QB a few more receiving options with which to work. Brian Quick flashed some real potential in 2014, but former first-rounder Tavon Austin still hasn’t shown a whole lot, and there’s no guarantee Britt will return. I wouldn’t expect the Rams to make a major play in free agency for someone like Jeremy Maclin or Randall Cobb, but adding a second-tier veteran is realistic. Nate Washington, who played for Fisher in Tennessee, is one possibility, and I could imagine Cecil Shorts being a fit in St. Louis. Selecting a wideout during the first day or two of the draft is also in play for the Rams.

While adding talent at the skill positions would be nice, the Rams’ more pressing needs are in the trenches — Robinson will be given every opportunity to make the left tackle position his own for the remainder of his rookie contract, and perhaps well beyond that. And last season’s big free agent signee, Rodger Saffold, was solid at left guard in 2014. However, the team could end up overhauling its other three offensive line positions this offseason.

Wells, as mentioned above, was ineffective at center, and Davin Joseph – who PFF ranked as a bottom-five guard in the league – was nearly as bad beside him. Barksdale was solid enough at right tackle, but both he and Joseph are on expiring contracts, while Wells is a strong candidate to be cut.

If the Rams do make a splash in free agency, I’d expect it to be somewhere on the offensive line. Interior options include Chiefs center Rodney Hudson, who would be a nice fit in St. Louis, as well as Raiders center Stefen Wisniewski, 49ers guard Mike Iupati, former Falcons guard Justin Blalock, and Bengals guard Clint Boling. Potential targets on the outside include Packers tackle Bryan Bulaga and Cowboys tackle Doug Free. Adding anyone from that list, and then drafting a lineman with the No. 10 overall pick, would go a long way toward solidifying the group that will be tasked with keeping Bradford upright in 2015.

The Rams are no lock to use that No. 10 pick on an offensive lineman — if a receiver like Amari Cooper or Kevin White falls that far, or if one of the top quarterbacks somehow slips, it would be hard to pass up on that sort of talent. Still, the same could be said of Iowa tackle Brandon Scherff, who would be a very nice addition if he’s available when the Rams are on the clock. Stanford’s Andrus Peat, LSU’s La’el Collins, and Miami’s Ereck Flowers also figure to receive consideration from St. Louis’ brass.

Extension Candidates/Contract Issues:

The Rams don’t have a ton of cap room at the moment, and are the only NFL team that didn’t carry over any cap space from 2014. They should be able to create some flexibility by cutting (or significantly restructuring) Long and Wells, as noted earlier, and Bradford’s contract is another one that figures to be addressed. He’s currently set to count for $16.58MM against the cap in the final year of his deal.

Asking Bradford flat out to accept a pay cut may not be the best course of action for the Rams, even if a player coming off consecutive ACL injuries probably isn’t worth a $13MM base salary. Restructuring his deal in a way that reduces Bradford’s 2015 salary and cap hit while also giving him some bonus money up front, and tacking another year or two onto the contract, would seem like a logical solution, given how much the Rams’ brass likes the veteran signal-caller. If Bradford looks at this year’s dismal free agent class and believes he could cash in on the open market a year from now, he may drive a hard bargain, but working out a short-term contract extension seems like a mutually beneficial move for the two sides.

Besides Bradford, there are no extension candidates on the roster that need to urgently be addressed. The Rams locked up their top pass rusher, Robert Quinn, to a long-term deal last year, earning a big check mark on their to-do list. While the team could approach defensive tackle Michael Brockers about a new contract this summer, he has a fifth-year option for 2016, so there’s no hurry to get anything done with him quite yet.

Greg Zuerlein will be eligible for free agency after the 2015 season, but he’s coming off a year in which he missed three field goals from inside the 40-yard line, despite making five of seven from 50+. Although he may sign a new deal in the fall, I’d expect the Rams to want to make sure he’s back on track in the 2015 season before investing $3MM+ annually in him on a multiyear contract.

If the team needs to create additional cap room for 2015, Quinn, Cook, and Chris Long are among the players whose contracts could be restructured.

Overall Outlook:

PFR’s Rob DiRe wrote back in November that the Rams are only a quarterback away from contention, and while there’s some truth to that, I’d argue that the team is perhaps a couple offensive linemen away from contention as well — even if St. Louis were to add the next Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers, that QB would need some solid players in front of him to keep him on his feet.

Without a real shot at Mariota or Winston, and with no free agent quarterbacks worth a significant investment, Bradford looks like the Rams’ best option heading into 2015, meaning the club can perhaps put its search for a new QB on the back burner temporarily. The defense looks good, and adding some new blood at wide receiver, offensive line, and perhaps tight end would give Bradford a greater opportunity to succeed, and to stay healthy. The former No. 1 pick may prove not to be the long-term solution at the position in St. Louis (or, potentially, Los Angeles), but assuming they can patch up their other holes, there may just be enough talent elsewhere on the roster to make the Rams a playoff contender in 2014.

Information from Over The Cap was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Eagles Sign Brad Jones

March 4th, 2015 at 9:16am CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 9:16am: Jones’ two-year deal with the Eagles is worth $2.85MM, with $500K guaranteed, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.

MONDAY, 2:46pm: After hosting him for a free agent visit today, the Eagles have signed linebacker Brad Jones to a two-year contract, the team announced (via Twitter). Jones, who was cut by the Packers in February, also met with the Titans before landing in Philadelphia.

Jones, who turns 29 next month, had been a Packer since the club drafted him in the seventh round in 2009. Although he was a starter for Green Bay in 2012 and 2013, his role was significantly reduced in 2014, as he played just 218 defensive snaps. After averaging 80+ tackles per season the previous two years, Jones recorded just 23 last year, to go along with a forced fumble.

Financial terms of Jones’ new deal with the Eagles aren’t yet known.

McCoy/Alonso Notes: Wednesday

March 4th, 2015 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

The Bills and Eagles shocked the NFL world on Tuesday evening, reportedly agreeing to a trade that will send LeSean McCoy to Buffalo in exchange for linebacker Kiko Alonso. Trades can’t officially be finalized until the new league year begins next Tuesday, but by all accounts, this deal will happen at that point. We rounded up a few initial reactions to the move last night, but there are several more updates to today to pass along. Here’s the latest:

  • After the swap is formally completed, the Bills are expected to rework McCoy’s contract, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). While that may reduce the running back’s cap number for 2015, don’t expect him to take a pay cut — Rapoport suggests that the goal will be to ensure that McCoy gets some guaranteed money beyond 2015.
  • The Eagles called at least one other team to gauge interest in McCoy before reaching an agreement with the Bills, a source tells Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (Twitter link). Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians confirmed today that he knew Shady was available, but said he “wasn’t a fit” in Arizona (Twitter link via Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com).
  • Alonso did not ask for a trade, a source with knowledge of the situation tells Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (Twitter link).
  • A source familiar with C.J. Spiller‘s situation tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (TwitLonger link) that the news was “certainly surprising.” The source added that Spiller is still “processing the personal part,” but suggested it may be a blessing in disguise for the running back to get a fresh start elsewhere.
  • More on the pending deal: Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com breaks down the trade’s winners and losers, Peter King of TheMMQB.com shares his thoughts on the swap, and Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com writes that the move is the latest indication that the Eagles are completely Chip Kelly‘s team.

NFC West Teams Vying For Darnell Dockett

March 4th, 2015 at 8:16am CST by Luke Adams

Former Cardinals defensive lineman Darnell Dockett is expected to decide on his new team today, and his old team remains in the mix, along with the rest of that club’s division rivals. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that Dockett will likely decide between the Cardinals and 49ers, though the Rams and Seahawks are also interested in signing him.

Dockett, who is entering his age-34 season, was sidelined for the entire 2014 season due to an ACL tear. In 2013, the former third-round pick started all 16 games for the Cards, logging 46 tackles and 4.5 sacks. However, Dockett’s cap number for 2015 was nearly $10MM, which forced the club to cut him. According to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic, the Cards had a one-year offer on the table to Dockett earlier this week worth up to $4MM, with a a base value of $2.5MM.

If Dockett lands with the 49ers, he’d be joining a team with a 3-4 defensive scheme similar to the one in Arizona, and would likely take over the defensive end role vacated by Ray McDonald, who was cut last season due to his off-field conduct. If the Rams or Seahawks emerge as a viable dark horse candidate and land Dockett, he’d have to make the adjustment to a 4-3 system. However, while the 33-year-old visited the 49ers this week, it doesn’t appear that he paid a visit to St. Louis or Seattle, so those clubs look like long shots at this point.

Agent Drew Rosenhaus had suggested on Monday that there was a strong market developing for his client, and that a decision was expected by week’s end.

Extra Points: Spiller, Bryant, Maxwell

March 3rd, 2015 at 10:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Not long after acquiring LeSean McCoy, the Bills called C.J. Spiller to let him know that they would be parting ways this offseason. At this time, suitors with interest in Spiller include the Cardinals, Jets, Dolphins, and the 49ers, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Here’s more from around the NFL..

  • Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones told SiriusXM NFL Radio (on Twitter) that franchise tagging Dez Bryant doesn’t mean that the team will allow him to play the year out as they will continue to work on a long-term deal. Jones went on to say that the team really wants DeMarco Murray back and he can’t fault a player for seeing what his options are (link). Of course, there’s a significant gulf between what Murray is asking for and what Dallas has been willing to offer so far.
  • Seahawks free agent corner Byron Maxwell is signing with agent Alvin Keels, as Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun tweets. Keels also represents Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor.
  • NFLPA attorney Arthur McAfee is trying to get the three nominations from player representatives to make a run the position of executive director, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter).
  • Sean Gilbert is officially on the ballot in the NFLPA executive director election, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). John Stufflebeem is also on the ballot, according to Ben Volin of The Boston Globe (on Twitter). Right now, there are four candidates officially on the ballot: Stufflebeem, Gilbert, Andrew Smith, and DeMaurice Smith.
  • Peter King of TheMMQB.com explored the Los Angeles situation in depth this week, ultimately concluding that it’s far too early to know whether the Rams, Chargers, or Raiders – or some combination of the three – will ultimately move to L.A. However, there’s more momentum for a move than there has been in the last two decades, and NFL executive Eric Gruber expects to see at least one franchise in the country’s second-largest market within the next five years.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

AFC Notes: Ginn, Titans, Jaguars, Dunlap

March 3rd, 2015 at 10:11pm CST by Zachary Links

A quick look at the AFC, which will now include star running back LeSean McCoy..

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

North Notes: Webb, Peterson, Langford

March 3rd, 2015 at 9:43pm CST by Zachary Links

The question was never whether the Ravens would approach Lardarius Webb about a pay reduction, it was whether he would take one, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes. Hensley runs through the different compromises the two sides could reach and ultimately concludes that the Ravens’ best outcome will be for the two sides to find some middle ground. Even if Webb agrees to a pay cut, however, his contract will be an issue next offseason. Baltimore can gain $6MM of cap room by releasing the cornerback in 2016. More from the North divisions..

  • Vikings coach Mike Zimmer is scheduled to fly to Houston on Wednesday to meet with Adrian Peterson to discuss the embattled superstar’s future with the team, two people with knowledge of the plan told Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Vikings GM Rick Spielman is also expected to make the trip to participate in what would be the first face-to-face meeting between the two sides in months.
  • Kendall Langford‘s visit with the Lions went well but he’ll continue visiting other teams, according to Nick Wagoner of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter). The former Rams defensive lineman will visit the Jets next, followed by the Saints. Langford, who turned 29 last month, inked a four-year, $22MM deal with the Rams in 2012 but was cut late last month.
  • Vikings linemen Tom Johnson and Joe Berger both played for the minimum salary last season and both are seeking raises this offseason, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press writes. Johnson’s agent says that the Vikings are his client’s first choice, but he’ll be seeking a three- or four-year deal in “the right situation and right system.” Johnson, 30, finished second on the team last season with 6.5 sacks.

Reactions To LeSean McCoy Trade

March 3rd, 2015 at 8:38pm CST by Zachary Links

Eagles coach Chip Kelly liked Kiko Alonso in the 2013 draft and had a chance to take him in the second round, Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Kelly had a tough call on his hands but ultimately selected tight end Zach Ertz instead. It took a while, but Kelly got his man on Tuesday night when he shipped LeSean McCoy to the Bills for the linebacker. Here’s a look at the latest on the blockbuster deal…

  • LaDainian Tomlinson said on NFL Network that McCoy told him a few weeks ago that he didn’t think he’d be back with the Eagles, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets.
  • The deal came together in a matter of minutes from start to finish, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
  • The Bills pulled the trigger on the deal in part because they knew C.J. Spiller wasn’t coming back to them, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. The Bills called Spiller soon after news of the McCoy deal got out to thank him for his time in Buffalo.
  • David Moore of The Dallas Morning News wonders if the Eagles dealing McCoy reflects current thought around the league on running backs and, in turn, if it’s a bad sign for pending free agent DeMarco Murray.
  • A source close to McCoy told Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that the running back’s camp was surprised to learn that he had been traded. “Honestly we were under the impression the whole time, that eventually at some point, Chip was going to ask LeSean to restructure his contract–not a pay cut, but convert some of his signing bonus,” the source said.
  • When asked if McCoy might make things difficult for the Bills, that person told Anderson (link): “It’ll be interesting to see how this process plays itself out because he’s an interesting individual. In your mind, when you think of Buffalo you think of cold and losing games. It’s not like it’s the Philadelphia market where you’re always on TV and you’re playing for the division title…It was unexpected. I’ll tell you that much.” The source added that McCoy, who has played the majority of his football at every level in the state Pennsylvania, is not happy to be going to Buffalo (link).
  • The Bills’ acquisition of McCoy will create ripples throughout the AFC East, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com writes. Free agent linebacker David Harris immediately comes out as a winner because the Bills will presumably target him to replace Alonso. Meanwhile, with the prospect of facing McCoy twice per season, the Jets need Harris more than ever which will only help his leverage.
  • McCoy chafed at some of Kelly’s new-age ways, including practicing on Saturdays before games, Jim Corbett of USA Today writes. Now, Corbett wonders if Kelly’s next bold move will be making a play for Marcus Mariota.
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