Still in shocked over the Kiko for LeSean deal? Yeah..So am I. But we gotta keep moving the sticks here and find out what sort of player we have here. Joining me to dish the dirt on McCoy is Dave Mangels from The Eagles SB Nation site Bleeding Green Nation. Enjoy and tell a friend.
1) How do you feel about this trade going down?
Quite a stunner. There were rumblings for weeks that McCoy was on the way out, Chip Kelly even said himself he wasn’t sure he’d be on the team in 2015. But the feeling was Shady would either be in a package to trade up to get Marcus Mariota, which didn’t make much sense because RB isn’t a need for Tampa Bay, or traded elsewhere for a draft pick. To get a player, a damn good one to boot, is surprising though.
So it feels like a good trade for the Eagles. There’s a risk involved with Alonso coming off of injury of course, but inside linebacker is a need for the team, DeMeco Ryans is coming off his own injury, and he’ll be 31, cost nearly $7M against the cap, and is a limited player when healthy. Alonso, if he fully or even close to fully recovers, is a massive upgrade. McCoy will be missed, but you have to give to get. To get a player on the rise for a player probably on the decline, what’s not to like from an Eagles standpoint?
2) What could you say about the pros and cons to McCoy’s game?
Shady has ridiculous change of direction. It might sound crazy, but he’s the closest thing to Barry Sanders since Barry Sanders. Just search “LeSean McCoy GIF” and prepare to spit take. He’s also a productive receiver for a RB. He’s a poor pass blocker, but with his talents you’re not asking him to pass block much anyway.
3) I know McCoy has been your every down back since 2010, has he showed signs of slowing down?
Yes, this past season. McCoy wasn’t anywhere near as effective as he was in the past, both statistically and by the eye, he appeared to be missing his high gear. There were a couple of factors for that. One was that the Eagles offensive line had no stability this year through injury and suspension. That obviously hurts. But when they were clearing lanes for him, he just didn’t seem right. The extra gear, the extra bounce that separated him from the pack as a top running back just didn’t seem there. McCoy did have a heavy workload, leading the league with 314 carries in 2013 and then 2nd in 2014 with 312. Going forward that’s a big concern and probably one reason why the Eagles were looking to move him. He’ll be 27 and running backs historically drop off after their age 27 season. But McCoy isn’t just another running back, so the down slope might come a season or two later. We’ll see.
4) What sort of pass plays does McCoy thrive on?
McCoy was a big reason why under both Andy Reid and Chip Kelly the Eagles had one of if not the best a screen games in the league. Get him the ball in space and watch out.
5) I’ve talked to some Philly fans whose biggest gripe against him is that he seems to kick runs to the outside more often than running between tackles. Is this true and a legit worry?
He definitely does, and that apparently is one of the reasons why Chip Kelly traded him, he wants a more north/south runner. But he’s also so good at it that you kind of have to live with it. You want smash mouth football, McCoy is not your back. But he’s not Bryce Brown either, who bounced everything outside when he was on the Eagles. It’s another reason why the Barry Sanders comparison is so apt for him. Sanders would have quite a few negative plays. But he had so many more positive ones that you didn’t complain. With McCoy, you have to accept that sometimes he’s going to be frustrating to watch. Because when it’s on, it’s top notch.
6) How much do you think McCoy’s game was effected by having offensive coaches like Andy Reid and Chip Kelly?
It’s no coincidence that he won the rushing title when Chip Kelly arrived, Chip loves to run the ball (though he ran less this year as a percentage of Eagles plays). This was a breath of fresh air for Eagles fans, who for Andy Reid’s entire tenure clamored for him to run the ball more, as he always had a good running back and was seemingly wasting him by not running more. Having offensive coaches certainly helps, but McCoy would have been successful under anyone. While he’s been fortunate to play in systems that highlighted his abilities, he’s not a product of the system.
7) How is McCoy as a person?
Extremely loose and jovial, perhaps too much so. He appears to be well liked by his teammates. His coaches, maybe not so much. After the release of DeSean Jackson he made some comments that indicated he knew he needed to get his act together or he might be next. Given the return and the cap savings the Eagles got, it’s tough to say that was a reason he was dealt. But it’s also tough to say it wasn’t a factor. Some good examples, earlier this year he had some some fun with DeSean Jackson before the second Redskins game that got some attention: http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2014/12/16/7404001/lesean-mccoy-desean-jackson-impersonation-instagram Pretty good impression actually. He also got into some hot water by leaving a 20 cent tip on a $60 bill. He claims the service was awful, and hey, maybe it was. After all, tips are for good service. (I would like to make it clear I am a nice tipper.) But it was an unnecessary headache that goes back to how it’s tough to say his attitude wasn’t a factor in the trade. There was also an incident in 2013 where he or his bodyguard allegedly roughed up and ejected a woman from a party bus. McCoy strongly denied it and the woman later recanted some of her story. But not all of it.
8) Anything else to add?
There are so many times McCoy holds the ball out when he runs and you just feel like he’s going to fumble, maybe without even being touched, but he actually doesn’t fumble that often. But it’ll make you cringe and scream at your TV. You’ve been warned.
9) How much did McCoy’s OL play into his production?
Yeah that definitely is a factor, combined with his east/west style. The Eagles OL was a mess in 2012 due to injury and his production suffered. The Incognito signing shows the Bills know they need to get better there, and with a new coach and new scheme there’s reason to be optimistic they will.
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