Philadelphia Eagles: LeSean McCoy Replacements for Next Season
BANG! If you were looking forward to an exciting round free agency that included big signings and trades starting next Tuesday, well, Christmas came early yesterday. The Philadelphia Eagles traded away LeSean McCoy to the Bills for Kiko Alonso. What now?
You can read our Charles McDonald’s “Trade Grade” here.
Without LeSean McCoy, the Eagles now have a void at running back. Chip Kelly and Co. can go a few different routes to filling the void, either through the draft or free agency. Here are a few solutions the Eagles will explore when it comes to filling their need at running back.
Aug 30, 2014; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Todd Gurley (3) runs against the Clemson Tigers during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Georgia defeated Clemson 45-21. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
1. Melvin Gordon or Todd Gurley in the 1st Round
The route that should provide the Eagles with the best results is by drafting a top running back in the draft. Luckily for the Eagles, this is a very strong running back class, with two fantastic running backs leading the pack. Georgia’s Todd Gurley is a monster of a back, but he is coming off of a season-ending ACL injury. If it weren’t for this injury, Gurley would have likely been in discussion for a top ten pick.
Melvin Gordon is the other top flight running back in the draft. Gordon had one heck of season for Wisconsin last year and has a nice combination of power and speed. Either of these two running backs would be great options, as the Eagles begin to fill their void at running back. However, if the Eagles are set to draft either Gurley or Gordon, Chip Kelly would have to give up on his potential dream of bringing Mariota to Philadelphia.
Dec 31, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Jay Ajayi (27) against the Arizona Wildcats in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl at Phoenix Stadium. The Broncos defeated the Wildcats 38-30. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
2. Duke Johnson, Jay Ajayi or Ameer Abdullah in the 2nd Round
Here’s an option if things go elsewhere. Duke Johnson seems like a natural fit in Chip Kelly’s offense, quick and agile, but he also has a bit of toughness to his game. Ajayi has been compared to players like Marshawn Lynch. As you can probably tell from that comparison alone, Ajayi is a physical, down hill runner, which would be a change from what were used to in Philadelphia; but with reports that Chip Kelly actually prefers a bigger, more physical runner as his featured back, Ajayi might be a guy Kelly targets in the second round.
Abdullah, much like Duke Johnson, seems like a very natural fit. He is very quick and has the ability to take every run to the house. While he isn’t the most powerful runner in the world, a combination of Abdullah and Sproles would be a nice tandem for Chip Kelly to work with next season.
Dec 15, 2013; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Buffalo Bills running back CJ Spiller (28) runs past Jacksonville Jaguars safety Winston Guy (32) during the first half of the game at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports
3. DeMarco Murray, Shane Vereen, or C.J. Spiller in Free Agency
While I don’t think this is the best option for this team to take, the Eagles may look to free agency to find their LeSean McCoy replacement.
DeMarco Murray is far and away the best running back on the market, but he will also command top dollar coming off of a season in which he rushed for over 1,800 yards. If the Eagles were unable to pay LeSean McCoy top dollar, I doubt they will be willing to give Murray a big deal.
Shane Vereen seems like a nice fit in Chip Kelly’s offense.
His a quick back, who is fantastic at catching balls out of the backfield. The only issue with Vereen is that he and Sproles are so similar, it may be way too much of one thing.
C.J. Spiller was rumored to be a target of Kelly’s last offseason before he made the deal to acquire Sproles, so it seems logical that he’ll push for him again. When healthy, Spiller is a fantastic running back and he has the potential to become a very special player in this league, but you can’t overlook the amount of injuries hehas endured throughout his career.