Shady McCoy Cut?! Not a Surprise.

Thanks for the memories, LeSean, but the party is over. McCoy gave Buffalo three great years, but in 2018, he proved that he was no longer the running back he used to be. It was a smart move for Beane to move on from LeSean, and here are some reasons why.

1.) He Lost His Fastball.

People forget this, but we can go back to 2017 to see the beginning of the end for McCoy. It wasn’t until week six of that year he recorded his first touchdown, and in that season, he only finished with four 100 yard games, six touchdowns, and 3.7 YPA. It marked the first time in his career he fell below four yards per attempt.

Last season, McCoy finished with a paltry 514 yards, three touchdowns, and a sad 3.2 yards per attempt. To put that last number in context, Marcus Murphy on 52 attempts averaged 4.8 yards per attempt behind the same turnstile offensive line in 2018.

McCoy has lost his fastball. When a speedy, twitchy running back loses a step, the game is over. Bruising running backs can often last longer in this league. Some good examples are Frank Gore, Adrian Peterson, and John Riggins. They don’t need to be fast or quick. They have old man strength. But McCoy ain’t trucking anybody any time soon.

His production was down, and there was a trend. Outside of acting a supplementary back, I don’t see McCoy having much more success in this league, and that leads me to my next point: would McCoy accept a lesser role?

Culture. Culture. Culture.

All summer, the Bills organization has been preaching culture perhaps more than any other year I can remember. With Incognito gone, McCoy was the remaining knucklehead on the team. He can be selfish at times, and certainly, his off the field antics leave something to be desired.

McCoy welcomed Allen in last season, and that was a help. And while Allen likes McCoy, he likes everybody on the team. But there isn’t another player on the Bills that needs their ego stroked like LeSean McCoy. He needed to be the number one guy, and, I’m sorry, fella, I have a lot more faith in Gore and the fresh legs of Singeltary than I do McCoy.

I don’t think McCoy would have accepted a lesser role on the Bills, and his production would necessitate that. There would have been drama in a tight-knit locker room, and his ego along with his legal issues, selfishness, and general #knuckleheaditude made his being cut from the team an inevitability.

Also, he spoiled Avengers: Endgame for millions of people. Dick move.

Money.

Many fans are wondering why Beane couldn’t have at least traded McCoy. It’s simple. It’s the money. LeSean McCoy was set to be one of the highest-paid running backs in the league in 2019. While he lived up to much of his contract, he is no longer worth that kind of scratch.

I’m sure Beane tried to move him, but people are worried about paying Melvin Gordon, much less LeSean McCoy.

I appreciate McCoy’s time in Buffalo, but it was the right time to move on. It’s time for the Devin Singletary show, baby, and I’ll be watching that shit from the front row!