The Buffalo Bills have quite the deep depth chart at running back. That could mean the man at the top is moved sometime in 2019.
The Buffalo Bills have brought several new running backs to town this offseason.
Frank Gore, T.J. Yeldon and Devin Singletary all join a group that remains headlined by LeSean McCoy. For now.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell went through every NFL team to pick one player from each team who is a prime candidate to be cut or traded in 2019. McCoy is his choice for the Bills.
From the article:
"He will enter the final year of his five-year, $40 million deal, and the Bills invested in running backs this offseason by signing Frank Gore and T.J. Yeldon before drafting Devin Singletary in the third round. McCoy will have about $3.3 million in base salary left on his deal when the trade deadline approaches; unless the Bills are in playoff contention, it wouldn’t be shocking to see McCoy moved at the end of October."
The salary is one thing. Then there is his age and the fact Gore can serve as the veteran of the group, with Yeldon and Singletary being the rest of the trio.
The Bills are in a bit of a tricky situation if they wait until October and McCoy has another slow start. If that is the case his value won’t be too much and the team may as well keep him on the roster.
Yet I imagine there is a belief that he can’t possibly be as bad as he was last year now that the offensive line is improved and the offense as a whole won’t be disastrous like it was when Josh Allen wasn’t playing last year.
But if any of the four have to go, McCoy seems like the likely option if it can save the team some money. It may also depend on how Brandon Beane views his roster. If he genuinely thinks the team can compete for a playoff spot, letting go of McCoy would become a much harder decision.
McCoy’s status will likely remain up in the air until the trade deadline if he is still on the roster by then. For now he remains one of the leaders of the team.