By Justin DiLoro / Billswire.usatoday.com
The Buffalo Bills have plenty of questions pertaining to their roster this upcoming year. For the first time in a long time, this uncertainty lends itself toward a level of excitement. Buffalo’s anticipated cap figure, along with several core players, all who are young and trending upward, makes this offseason one of hopeful anticipation for Bills’ onlookers.
It could be a make-or-break offseason for the duo of general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott. This is McDermott’s third full offseason at the helm of the club, while Beane is entering his second complete offseason pulling the strings for the Bills. There have been several moves made to put the team in this competitive position entering free agency.
With all of the transactions over the past three years, there is still one elephant in the room that needs to be addressed this offseason. Buffalo’s brass must determine what to do about running back LeSean McCoy.
This decision will be another defining moment for the McDermott-Beane regime. While it may not have the glamour of selecting a franchise quarterback, the choice will have a tremendous impact on the Bills offense next year.
The 10-year pro saw his production fall off in 2018. He rushed 514 yards in 2018, which is fewer than half of the yards he ran for two seasons ago (1,138). This follows a downward trend when McCoy ran for 1,267 yards in 2016. His yards per carry has fallen off during this time frame, dropping from a career-high of 5.4 yards per rushing touch in 2016 to a career-low of 3.2 yards per rush last year.
McCoy’s regression has also hindered his involvement in the passing game. As a receiver, McCoy caught the second-most, single-season receptions in his career in 2017, reeling in 59 passes. This figure plummeted to 34 catches.
This is the first season in McCoy’s tenure with the Bills in which he has not been named to the Pro Bowl. The six-time Pro Bowler is set to make a shade north of $9 million next season. McCoy’s cap hit for running backs is third-highest in the league, behind Arizona’s David Johnson and Los Angeles Rams’ Todd Gurley. McCoy is slotted ahead of Jacksonville’s Leonard Fournette and Dallas’ Ezekiel Elliott. The veteran was tied for 39th overall in rushing yards this past season, and 37th among running backs. McCoy was outgained by two quarterbacks, his teammate Josh Allen and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson.
All of this stacks up as an inconvenient problem to have for Buffalo’s front office. The Bills were not anticipating on running back being an issue this offseason. Yet, they are saddled with this problem.
The solution? Buffalo must move on from McCoy.
Yes, this creates another issue on the Bills roster. The team is need of help at wide receiver, tight end, and offensive line. Now, Beane must address the backfield.
With Buffalo’s salary cap situation looking a bit more positive on the horizon, as Beane has worked multiple seasons to balance shed excess weight from the financial rolls.
The next logical step is to release McCoy. His production does not match his price tag. He is under contract for one more year. The 31-year-old will cost the Bills $2.4 million in dead cap space.
While this creates a new hole, the team would be better off in the long run. There’s no doubt that McCoy still exhibits some athleticism on the field. However, his inability to consistently produce this past season seems to be a harbinger of the future.
Could McCoy have a bounce-back season in 2019? Of course, this could happen. In fact, I hope that it does happen for McCoy.
Still, the gamble of McCoy returning to his old form is too great of a chance that the Bills should take. Realistically, the veteran will not be a part of Buffalo’s plan beyond 2019. With McCoy’s decent to below average production, this offseason is the time to shift resources toward finding the player to whom Josh Allen will hand the ball off for the future. Whether it’s through free agency or the draft, the Bills have another position of priority for the offseason to fill.