By Nick Wojton / Billswire.usatoday.com
The Buffalo Bills haven’t had a productive running game at almost any point of the 2018 season – out of their actual running backs, that is.
Lead running back LeSean McCoy has one game in which he surpassed 100 yards rushing this season. He had 4 last year and 7 the year before that.
Buffalo has missed out on its chance to receive anything for his services.
After notching that lone 113-yard outing – which also featured his only two touchdowns of the season – in Week 10 against the New York Jets, McCoy didn’t have the same type of production in Week 14 in the rematch.
After 2 carries and 9 offensive snaps played, McCoy tweaked a hamstring. As medical experts and folks who’ve suffered from those types of injuries know, they linger.
Bills (4-9) head coach Sean McDermott tagged McCoy as “day-to-day” on Monday. But at 30, it’s a different type of a lingering injury than McCoy would’ve experienced earlier in his career. With the miles on McCoy and his third injury this season alone, the Bills should just shut him down and hope for the best in 2019. What else can they do now?
At the trade deadline, McCoy’s name was floated out there. Reports surfaced that the Philadelphia Eagles, his former team, were interested in his services.
Hindsight is 20/20, but Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane overvalued McCoy. Not only does McCoy now have a tricky injury, but he also cracked his ribs and suffered a concussion this year.
“Our offense is not where we want it, but LeSean is still playing well. He’s a talented player. We like what he brings, to the point we’ll have him back in 2019. He’ll definitely be a part of that,” Beane said earlier this season.
In 5 games since the deadline, McCoy has 222 rushing yards, including that 113-yard outing.
It might be hard for McCoy and fans to admit, but the back has likely lost at least a slight step in his game. Certainly, things aren’t all on him, though.
Buffalo’s offensive line is abysmal at run blocking. Heading into Sunday’s 27-23 loss to the New York Jets, Pro Football Focus ranked the Bills’ line as the second-worst run-blocking unit in the NFL. It’s been near or at the bottom of the barrel the entire season and even younger prospects such as tackle Dion Dawkins and Wyatt Teller have left a lot to be desired.
An offensive line is rarely plug-and-play, either. So even if additions are made to the unit via free agency or the draft, or if there’s a coaching change via OL coach Juan Castillo, it’s not going to be overnight. It’ll take time.
So with a year left on his contract, the Bills will bring a 31-year-old McCoy back in hopes things will click instantly in 2019. Might as well keep as much tread on the tires as you can by letting him sit out.
That, or they can cut him this offseason and save nearly $6.5 million on their salary cap next year while taking a minimal $2 million dead cap hit as well.
Per Spotrac, the Bills are projected to have approximately $87 million in cap space this offseason, the third-most in the NFL. They don’t need that McCoy money, so the Bills will likely bring him back for next year along with a slew of changes around him.
Even if they don’t make the big move by moving on from him, Beane has to including getting McCoy’s his successor in place since that’s a big, underlying question mark heading into the future. The Bills have seemed tentative to do so this past offseason, but it’s time. Buffalo has 10 draft picks at April’s draft.
Call up Kieth Ford from the practice squad and pair him with veterans Chris Ivory and Marcus Murphy over the final three games.
Ring as much out of McCoy as you can in 2019 by putting him on the shelf now but be ready for life without him sooner rather than later.