Breaking Down: The LeSean McCoy and Kiko Alonso Trade
NFL
Just received word from Adam Schefter that Philadelphia Eagles have traded away their rights to running back LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills for linebacker Kiko Alonso. This is a surprising move for Philadelphia as McCoy has been a stud for several years, and Kiko Alonso has played one season (2013), and one he sat out with an ACL injury (2014). So at this time the Bills get a dual-threat running back and the Eagles get a player coming off an ACL injury and has only one season under his belt? As one Hall of Fame great, Vince Lomabardi said, "What the Hell is going on out here!"
But is it as surprising as it seems? It appeared that McCoy fell out of favor with Chip Kelly, as his overall stats prove that could have been the situation, He was 12 short of Darren Sproles in the receiving column (40-28), and in the money department, rushing touchdowns, Sproles had six while McCoy finished with just five. The conflict could have occurred because of contrasting personalities. Kelly has been on a mission to transform the Eagles into his vision, and priority number one was to get rid of strong-minded players in LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson. For the Bills, when you look around the locker room and see Bryce Jackson, Anthony Dixon, and an injury prone Fred Jackson, it doesn't give a new head coach much to smile at. I don't know who approached who on the trade, but it seems to me that Kelly wanted McCoy gone, and liked Kiko Alonso who played under him at Oregon. This gives him the power to re-build his Oregon team, and rid of a mouth-piece he wanted gone from day one. On the other hand, the Bills lose a linebacker they only watched one season of, and a player that obviously didn't effect their defense when out, as the Bills finished with the 4th overall defense.
LeSean McCoy
Now that we know why the trade occurred, how will it effect each team with the player they have garnered. For the Eagles, their defense gets significantly better with Kiko Alonso, and they needed too, as they finished 28th overall in the NFL. Their linebacking crew was strong with Mychal Kendricks on the inside, teamed with Brandon Graham on the outside. Now Graham will team with Alonso in making a dangerous tandem. Make no mistake, Kiko Alonso is a stud while healthy. In his rookie year he finished ninth overall at the inside linebacker position according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). Kiko Alonso youth will enable him to grow inside the Eagles defense, and as he improves so will the defense. Alonso is going to collect a whole lotta tackles for the Eagles, as he can fly around the field, and is a determined player. He finished with 159 tackles and four interceptions in 2013. The most important aspect about Alonso is that his ACL tear was in the beginning of last season, and should be 100% by the beginning of the season.
Kiko Alonso
With the Buffalo Bills, they now get a top tier running back, that will instantly improve that offense. LeSean McCoy and Fred Jackson could be a dangerous duo out there, and while McCoy will be the lead-back, he wont have to worry about carrying the full-load like he did in Philadelphia, and get's a fresh start on a new team. Even though McCoy had solid numbers, he really looked off for most of the season. He finished the 2014 season rushing for 1, 319 yards. His two biggest hits came in the receiving and touchdown department. How much can he contribute, depends on the offensive line in Buffalo. The Bills finished with just 3.7 yards per carry compared to the 4.2 in Philadelphia, and their offensive line was ranked 32nd by PFF in run blocking last season, while Philadelphia ranked 2nd. It also will be depending on how Buffalo handles Fred Jackson. Jackson when on the field has been so productive that he has chased off both Marshawn Lynch and CJ Spiller.
