Trade review: How passing on Tavon Austin helped Bills land LeSean McCoy
The 2013 NFL Draft will always be remembered by Buffalo Bills fans as the one in which their team reached and spent a first-round pick on quarterback EJ Manuel. There's no question it was a questionable selection by the Bills, but the trade they made to acquire Manuel seems to have worked in their favor up to this point.
On the night of the 2013 draft, the Bills traded the No. 8 overall pick and their third-round selection (No. 71) to the St. Louis Rams for the 16th pick, as well as a second-, third- and seventh-round pick. That's quite the haul for moving down just eight spots, which is exactly why the Bills made the move.
Now two years removed from the trade, it's hard to determine which team got the better end of the deal. However, the Bills ultimately came away with LeSean McCoy -- a superstar running back -- thanks to their blockbuster deal with the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2015 offseason.
Here's how the trade worked out for both teams.
RAMS:
Tavon Austin, WR (No. 8): Austin was the first wide receiver off the board in 2013 despite being just 5-foot-8, 176 pounds. He obviously didn't possess great size out of West Virginia, but his speed and playmaking ability is something the Rams obviously coveted. Since being taken No. 8 overall, Austin has started just 25 games for the Rams, catching 118 passes for 1,103 yards and nine touchdowns in three seasons. Those numbers aren't great, but he's also rushed for 777 yards and seven touchdowns, despite fumbling the ball 12 times.
He hasn't been the electric wideout the Rams hoped he would be, but he's been solid and a contributor on offense and special teams. Of course, the Rams have also had their share of quarterback issues, which hasn't helped his case, either.
T.J. McDonald, S (No. 71): Coming out of USC, McDonald had great size at safety but was seen as a liability in coverage. The latter hasn't been completely true, but there's no doubt he's better when playing close to the line of scrimmage.
In three seasons with the Rams, he's started 37 games and made 221 tackles, four sacks and two interceptions. McDonald isn't a star on the Rams defense but he's certainly helped solidify their secondary, especially as a third-round pick.
BILLS:
EJ Manuel, QB (No. 16): Manuel is considered to be one of the bigger quarterback busts in recent years, as evidenced by his inability to beat out Kyle Orton and Tyrod Taylor in the last two seasons. He started 10 games as a rookie and four the following year, but his 59.1 career completion percentage and 19 touchdowns to 15 interceptions haven't impressed anyone -- specifically the coaching staff. It's conceivable that the Bills could cut ties with Manuel after this season, admit their mistake and move forward with Taylor.
Whether they'll do that remains to be seen, but it's clear he's not in the cards to be their franchise quarterback.
LeSean McCoy via Kiko Alonso, LB (No. 46): Here's where the Bills won this trade. Alonso started all 16 games as a rookie and looked like a stud for Buffalo in the middle of the defense. However, a torn ACL forced him to miss the entire 2014 season. It brought up questions about his durability, and the Bills wound up shipping him to Philadelphia for McCoy back in March.
Since then, Alonso has started just one game for the Eagles and hasn't looked like the same player that he was as a rookie. In turn, McCoy has been electric in Buffalo and was named to his fourth Pro Bowl this season despite missing three games due to injury. He's a much bigger impact player than Alonso is and has provided a much-needed boost for the Bills, who lead the league in rushing this season.
Marquise Goodwin, WR (No. 78): A track star and lightning-quick athlete at Texas, Goodwin was expected to be a dynamic returner and offensive weapon for the Bills. That hasn't been the case at all, as he's caught just 20 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns in his career. He played in just two games this season and made two catches before being placed on season-ending injured reserve in October. He's another candidate to be cut prior to this season after failing to make an impact thus far.
Chris Gragg, TE (No. 222): Surprisingly, Gragg has more career receptions (24) than Goodwin, and has also started more games (9), too. In his career, Gragg has caught two touchdowns and totaled 251 receiving yards. As a seventh-round pick, it's hard to expect much from Gragg, but he hasn't completely disappointed.
Had the Bills not traded Alonso for McCoy, this trade would have been a huge whiff by Buffalo. However, McCoy makes the deal look much better. As for the Rams, Austin hasn't lived up to expectations of being a top-10 pick, but there's still time for him to develop and improve. Having consistency at quarterback will definitely help him as that's something the Rams hope to fix in the future.
