LeSean McCoy: 6 Potential Free Agency Landing Spots if Bills Release Him
Dec 24, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy (25) celebrates after running for a touchdown during the second half against the Miami Dolphins at New Era Field. The Dolphins beat the Bills 34-31 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
Here's a look at six potential landing spots for LeSean McCoy if the Buffalo Bills decide to part ways with the running back.
Despite the fact that he's coming off an impressive 2016 campaign, there's a chance the Buffalo Bills could end up parting ways with LeSean McCoy this offseason to save a little roster money. McCoy was originally traded to the Bills two years ago when Rex Ryan was the head coach, but releasing the running back could help the team focus on spending money on other areas in need of improvement.
While nothing has been official, McCoy gave fans a scare when he posted an interesting message on Instagram in which he discussed how special Buffalo was during a recent autograph signing, which obviously led some people to believe his time with the Bills was coming to an end. This easily could end up meaning absolutely nothing, but only time will tell when it comes to whether McCoy will be with a different team during the 2017 season if Buffalo decides to save $6.25 million for his release.
If that does end up happening, there will certainly be plenty of teams jumping on the chance to bring McCoy on board after the running back finished with 1,623 yards from the line of scrimmage to go along with 14 touchdowns in 15 games during the 2016 season. Starting off with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, here's a look at six teams that could be interested in bringing McCoy on board for next season if the Bills end up parting ways with the running back.
Dec 4, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Jacquizz Rodgers (32) runs the ball during the second half against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Tampa Bay won 28-21. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After falling just short of reaching the playoffs following two tough losses late in the regular season to the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will enter next year with an extra chip on their shoulders. Assuming the defense picks up right where they left off, the difference maker for the Buccaneers in 2017 could come down to the performance on offense.
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Jameis Winston has wasted no time proving himself worthy as a starter at quarterback for Tampa Bay, and he's obviously grateful for having one of the league's top wide receivers in Mike Evans, but he still could use the additional help in the ground game. Unfortunately, the Buccaneers were dealt a tough hand with the Doug Martin situation, and if the team was smart, they would focus on upgrading with a different running back during the offseason.
As for the possibility of LeSean McCoy, there's no debate over the type of impact he would have right away in the backfield for Tampa Bay. Not only would McCoy take some of the pressure off Winston, but he would provide the third-year quarterback with an extra weapon to quickly dump the football off to in the passing game.
Jan 1, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz (11) runs with the ball against the Dallas Cowboys during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
5. Philadelphia Eagles
Carson Wentz learned the hard way during his rookie season with the Philadelphia Eagles how there's only so much he can do on his own without the necessary help. With that being said, the positive side for the Eagles is Wentz seems to have the potential to become one of the league's next top quarterbacks, and there's every reason for the team to be excited about what's in store for his sophomore year under center.
Of course, the only way Wentz is going to elevate his game to the next level is if the organization brings in some help during the offseason, especially at running back. Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles came up big from time to time during the 2016 season, but it's clear they're far from the answer in the backfield for the Eagles.
Re-joining Philadelphia after all of the drama that took place two years ago may seem crazy for LeSean McCoy to even think about, but also keep in mind the team realized what a mistake Chip Kelly was as their former head coach. If anything, a return to the city that originally drafted McCoy could be beneficial for both parties along to stick it to Kelly even more.
4. Minnesota Vikings
Before anyone freaks out over why the Minnesota Vikings would even consider bringing on LeSean McCoy, keep in mind the deciding factor in this scenario is if the team decides to move on from Adrian Peterson. When healthy, there's no debate that Peterson has always been considered one of the league's top running backs, but that's one of the main issues that could result in the Vikings parting ways this offseason.
The fact that Peterson will be turning 32 in March, and is scheduled to make around $18 million in 2017 is insane to think about for a running back that was limited to appearing in three games for Minnesota last year. Peterson may still have a few good seasons left in him, but to spend this kind of money on a running back with injury concerns like Peterson has puts the Vikings in a tough situation.
If Minnesota decides to part ways with their beloved running back, McCoy would easily be a great fit for this offense since they seem to have a talented enough roster to re-emerge as one of the top teams in the NFC once again. Don't forget this was the same team that started off last season with a 5-0 record before all of the key injuries on both sides of the football eventually caught up with them, and swapping out Peterson for McCoy could save the Vikings a ton of money.
3. Oakland Raiders
Last year, the Oakland Raiders took a major step in the right direction by proving they were capable of competing with the best teams in the AFC, and could have arguably won the AFC West title if it wasn't for Derek Carr's leg injury suffered late in the regular season. Assuming all goes well with the recovery in the offseason, there's no reason why the Raiders shouldn't be strong contenders in the conference once again, and if Latavius Murray ends up signing elsewhere as expected, the team will need to figure out a solution at running back.
On paper, Oakland has one of the league's top offenses thanks to Carr having a dynamic duo at wide receiver in Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. By throwing a talented running back like LeSean McCoy into the picture, it would make the Raiders even more dangerous on offense and certainly make them stronger contenders to reach the Super Bowl.
Keep in mind that McCoy has always proven to be just as dangerous of a receiver throughout his career, and taking advantage of his skills would benefit Carr even more. Nothing against Murray, but replacing him with a talented player like McCoy would easily be an upgrade at running back for the Raiders.
2. Carolina Panthers
Who would have thought one year after reaching the Super Bowl thanks to a stellar defense, and having one of the top offenses in the league, the Carolina Panthers would miss out on the playoffs in 2016 thanks to a 6-10 finish? From losing Josh Norman on defense to lack of protection for Cam Newton, there was plenty of blame to go around for the Panthers, but at the end of the day, the Panthers seem capable of bouncing back as a playoff contender in the NFC next year.
Unfortunately for Carolina, playing in the NFC South could be more difficult than originally expected when seeing how each team seems talented enough to make a run for the division title as well. Jonathan Stewart is still under contract, and coming off a 2016 season in which he found the end zone nine times while rushing for 824 yards in 13 games, but the Panthers need to provide him with extra help in the backfield.
Stewart has done a good job of handling the responsibilities of being the team's No. 1 running back over the last few seasons, but taking the backseat to player like LeSean McCoy wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. It wasn't long ago when Stewart was the team's second option at running back behind DeAngelo Williams, and playing alongside McCoy would give Carolina one of the league's top backfields.
1. Green Bay Packers
All hope seemed lost for the Green Bay Packers in the middle of the season when they were sitting with a 4-6 record before miraculously turning things around on their way to winning the NFC North before eventually losing to the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship. Thanks to the injuries surrounding Eddie Lacy and James Starks, the Packers were forced to rely on Aaron Rodgers even more than normal, and while he helped pull off some miraculous wins, not having the necessary support in the ground game eventually caught up to the offense.
In fact, it was difficult not to wonder if Green Bay would have been capable of defeating Atlanta with a stronger support in the ground game, but there's nothing the team can do about it now. With Rodgers having one of the league's top passing units thanks to being fortunate enough to have players like Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, and Devante Adams, the addition of a running back like LeSean McCoy would take the offense to a whole new level.
As long as Rodgers remains healthy, the Packers are not only going to have one of the top offenses once again in 2017, but will be strong favorites to reach the Super Bowl as well. Just imagine all of the success this team has seen over the last few seasons without a consistent running back, and what type of impact a player with the skill set of McCoy could bring to the table.
