Shady McCoy; Happier in Buffalo than Philadelphia

The trade that brought LeSean “Shady” McCoy to the Buffalo Bills had some people wondering if his best days are behind him. After hearing his press conference and all the interviews since his arrival in Buffalo, it appears that couldn’t be farther from the truth. McCoy seems to be much happier in Buffalo than he ever was in Philadelphia, and that could prove to be a big factor in his production during the 2015 season.

The Buffalo Bills acquired McCoy in a trade with the Eagles for linebacker Kiko Alonso on March 4th. The trade was announced prior to the start of free agency, and some fans were wondering if the trade was real or not. As it turns out, the trade was in fact real, and gives the Bills a running back that will immediately upgrade the offense and give the fans a reliable back who has avoided injury thus far in his career, which is something fans should be excited about, considering the recent with running backs and injuries.

During his introductory press conference, LeSean McCoy said he felt disrespected and that he and his former head coach, Chip Kelly, didn’t see eye to eye on how the offense should be run next season; which is something that McCoy cited as one of the reasons he was traded so quickly after having so much success in an Eagles jersey. While initial reports stated after the trade that McCoy “was not going to make it easy” for the Bills, those reports subsided shortly after that, and McCoy arrived in Buffalo with a huge smile on his face and seemed extremely happy to be in Buffalo.

McCoy has the NFL's third-most rushing yards (6,792) and fourth-most rushing touchdowns (44) since the Eagles drafted him in the second round in 2009. He finished last season with 1,319 rushing yards, third-most in the NFL. McCoy should be able to produce similar numbers this season, thanks to the Bills also signing free agent fullback Jerome Felton, who may be the best blocking fullback in the NFL. The Bills also brought back offensive lineman Richie Incognito, who was out of football last season, and has had some time to reflect on his issues in the past, which appear to be behind him.

These additions, along with new Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman, should allow Shady McCoy and the Bills’ offense to utilize the “ground and pound” approach that Rex Ryan plans to implement this season to the fullest extent possible. If McCoy comes anywhere close to his numbers from last season, the Bills would be great shape to get into the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. There’s a new sense of excitement and a new buzz surrounding the Bills this season.

NFL Network analyst and former NFL tight end Heath Evans predicted last week that the Bills will go 12-4, including starting the season off at 9-0. As fans, we can only hope the Bills can make this prediction a reality and have the Bills playing deep into the postseason. Things are looking up for the Bills this year more so than any other year in recent memory. McCoy, along with all the new additions and returning players from last year, are anxious to get the season started. It won’t be long until we find out what this team is really made of. And that’s pretty exciting news for Bills fans, players, and coaches alike.

Alex Rugile @alexrugile

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