The four teams considered to be suitors for LeSean McCoy include the Patriots, Chargers, Chiefs and Eagles.
The Buffalo Bills’ decision to release running back LeSean McCoy has provided the NFL with a surprise free agent entry, and Ian Rapoport says the Kansas City Chiefs are among the four final suitors for his services.
The Chiefs, according to Rapoport, are also joined by the New England Patriots, Los Angeles Chargers, and Philadelphia Eagles. Each of those teams has good reason to believe they can make a Super Bowl run this season.
McCoy was let go by the Bills on Saturday as final roster cuts were due for the 2019 seasons. Given how loaded the team was already going to be in the backfield, it’s not a total shock that a difficult decision was made. Frank Gore and T.J. Yeldon are veterans still in place along with exciting third round rookie Devin Singletary.
As for the Chiefs, they also have a crowded stable of running backs, but the team traded away Carlos Hyde to the Houston Texans on Saturday to create some breathing room. Damien Williams is in place as the lead back who will share reps with sixth round rookie Darwin Thompson and second-year back Darrel Williams. If McCoy is brought in, the latter Williams could be the odd man out if the Chiefs didn’t want to carry four players at the position.
McCoy had arguably the worst year of his career last year, his tenth in the NFL. It’s easy to question how much he has left after he put up only 514 rushing yards on 161 carries—a measly 3.2 yards/carry average. Then again, the Bills might have had the worst offensive line in football last year outside of Houston.
McCoy carried an expensive price tag into this season, with a cap hit of just over $9 million, which answers question as to why a team like the Chiefs wouldn’t have simply traded for him in the first place. Waiting for him to hit free agency via his release allows the finances to be reset, even as the team has to fight with other suitors for his services.
With the Chiefs, McCoy would reunite with his former head coach Andy Reid, who coached him for his first four years in the NFL with the Eagles.