Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
If the Buffalo Bills were hoping to get the NFL‘s attention, they did exactly that and more when they pulled a deal that will send them LeSean McCoy from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for Kiko Alonso. Although the deal can’t go into effect until the new league year starts, it was confirmed by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday afternoon.
Filed to ESPN: Bills have notified LB Kiko Alonso he is going to be traded to Philadelphia for RB LeSean McCoy. Trade official next week.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 3, 2015
It’s the first known blockbuster deal of the 2015 offseason, and it’s a doozy.
By parting with their promising, young middle linebacker, the Bills get an aging, declining running back who has likely already seen his best days. McCoy is coming off of a disappointing 2014 campaign during which he was clearly slowed by injuries and age. Although it makes sense on the surface considering C.J. Spiller is headed for the open market, adding McCoy to the mix certainly isn’t worth getting up a talent like Alonso.
Although Alonso missed all of the 2014 season with a torn ACL, he proved during his 2013 rookie season that he’s capable of being a stud linebacker in the NFL. The second-round pick was primed for a big bounce-back season alongside surprise rookie Preston Brown and veteran Nigel Bradham, but will now head to Philadelphia to take over as the Eagles’ top inside linebacker.
It’s a great move for the Eagles, who clear plenty of cap space — McCoy was set to make $10.25 million in 2015 compared to Alonso’s $745,000 — and get a budding star for the middle of their defense.
The Bills, however, got the short end of the stick. They better hope McCoy was worth the risk.
