Jeffrey T. Barnes/Associated Press The Philadelphia Eagles reportedly have reached out to the Buffalo Bills about bringing back running back LeSean McCoy. Josh Reed of WIVB Buffalo reported as much, noting the Eagles are dealing with a hole on the running back depth chart after Jay Ajayi tore his ACL. McCoy is the all-time leading rusher in Eagles history and played there from 2009—when the team selected him in the second round of the draft—through 2014. This comes after Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com reported the Eagles restructured defensive tackle Fletcher Cox's contract Friday to create an additional $6.5 million in cap space for the rest of this season and $11.7 million for the 2019 campaign. McCoy is under contract through 2019, so the timing would match up if they choose to use some of the extra space on the six-time Pro Bowler. Schefter and Mortensen noted Philadelphia had no plans to trade for Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell with the additional cap space but said nothing of McCoy. McCoy has 170 rushing yards and 64 receiving yards through four games this season for the 2-3 Bills. While the early numbers don't turn heads, he ran for 1,138 yards just last season, marking the sixth time in his career he topped 1,000 yards on the ground. Four of those seasons came during his tenure with the Eagles. Video Play Button Videos you might like Philadelphia still has Corey Clement, Darren Sproles and Wendell Smallwood at running back as it attempts to defend its Super Bowl crown, but none of them can match McCoy's resume.<doc-sep>The Philadelphia Eagles backfield suffered a significant loss when running back Jay Ajayi was diagnosed with a season-ending torn ACL. The absence of their starting running back will take its toll on an offense that currently ranks 20th (363.8 total yards per game) in the NFL and a team that has a 2-3 record through five weeks of action. The defending Super Bowl champions are reeling and they’ll be looking for a solution to fill the new void that has been created in their backfield in hopes of regaining their status as the top team in the NFL. Perhaps, the Eagles may have already found a solution, and it involves returning a familiar face who was beloved as a member of the franchise not too long ago. According to a report from WIVB-TV, Philadelphia is interested in acquiring Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy. McCoy was drafted by the Eagles in the second round (53rd overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft. From 2009-2014, McCoy was a leader and arguably the team’s best player during his six seasons in Philadelphia. As an Eagle, he became one of the league’s rising stars at the running back position, capturing first-team All-Pro honors twice (2011, 2013) and an NFL rushing title in 2013. During the 2015 offseason, Philadelphia made a bold move that stunned the football world. The Eagles traded its star running back, McCoy, to Buffalo in exchange for linebacker Kiko Alonso. Since joining the Bills in 2015, McCoy has become a focal point of the team’s offense. Behind a solid run-blocking offensive line, McCoy helped Buffalo lead the league in rushing in back-to-back seasons (2015, 2016). In 2017, McCoy played a major role in breaking the Bills’ infamous 17-year playoff drought. From 2015-2017, McCoy racked up 3,300 rushing yards (most in the NFL during that span), 22 touchdowns and a 4.6 yards per carry average on 724 total attempts on the ground while accumulating 1,096 yards, five touchdowns and 141 receptions through the air. The six-time Pro Bowler has come as advertised during his tenure as a Bill. However, in 2018, things haven’t been smooth for the veteran running back. In four games played, McCoy has only 170 yards rushing on 45 carries (3.8 yards per carry) along with 64 receiving yards on 10 receptions and zero touchdowns. His underwhelming production is rooted from the lackluster offense he’s instilled in. McCoy is currently working with an offensive line that’s talent level and experience is devoid of years past. Also, the presence of a raw and fundamentally flawed rookie quarterback coupled with a wide receiving core that is unproven and inconsistent allows defenses to key in on eliminating McCoy’s impact. Not to mention McCoy’s off-field issues which have sprung up periodically through training camp and the early stages of the NFL season. Thanks to the strong play of their defense, the Bills are holding a modest 2-3 record through the first five weeks of the season. One of the major questions is whether the team can keep up its sub-par, .500 record for the entirety of the season, however. If they can’t, which is very likely that they won’t, the team should absolutely pounce on the opportunity to trade McCoy to a contender such as the Eagles. At 30, McCoy hasn’t necessarily revealed any signs that his game is deteriorating or slowing down. As a matter of fact, since joining the Bills, McCoy has remained one of the best, if not the best, running back in the NFL. But, how much does he have left in the tank? That is the major question. According to a report from 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia, Buffalo is seeking both a second- and third-round pick in return for McCoy’s services. If the Bills can take advantage of Philadelphia’s neediness and fetch the offer that they’re desiring in exchange for McCoy, it would be a no-brainer for them to pull the trigger and send him back to his home state of Pennsylvania. With general manager Brandon Beane and coach Sean McDermott committed to a full-scale rebuild, the time is now for the second year regime to move on and extract all the value they can receive in a potential McCoy deal while his value is at his peak. All things considered, moving on from a star player, a team captain, a team player, a locker room favorite and a fan favorite like McCoy is never an easy decision to make. At the end of the day, the NFL is a business, and considering the fearlessness this regime has shown in constructing trades over the past calendar year and change, it wouldn’t be a total surprise if Beane pulls off another bold deal that moves one of his team’s best players once again.<doc-sep>Getty Images Amid a report that the Eagles have called the Bills about a possible trade for tailback LeSean McCoy, Bills coach Sean McDermott opted to open a Wednesday press conference by taking the bull by the horns. “We’re just looking forward to the Houston Texans,” McDermott said, via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. “We get calls all the time. Incoming calls happen all the time. [G.M.] Brandon [Beane] and I talk a lot. I won’t get into any more detail than that.” McCoy is signed through 2019, and the Eagles currently need an upgrade at the position. McCoy wasn’t happy about being traded away from the team that drafted him in 2009, and he’d quite possibly welcome a chance to finish his career in the place it started. The window for 2018 trades closes in 20 days. If McCoy were to be traded, Chris Ivory would become the top option on the current depth chart.<doc-sep>
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott did not dismiss a report Wednesday that the Philadelphia Eagles have inquired about trading for Bills running back LeSean McCoy. "LeSean is one of our better players," McDermott said to begin his news conference. "I thought he had a good game [in Sunday's 13-12 win over the Tennessee Titans]. Really, we're just looking forward to playing the Houston Texans [this Sunday]. "We get calls all the time. Incoming calls happen all the time. [General manager] Brandon [Beane] and I talk a lot. I won't go into any more detail than that. Really, again, this is a big week for us. Another opportunity to get better. Another opportunity for us to develop as a football team against a very good opponent, in particular down there in a tough place to play." WIVB reported Tuesday that the Eagles (2-3) had called the Bills (2-3) about McCoy's availability after placing running back Jay Ajayi on injured reserve. Asked specifically Wednesday if the Eagles had contacted Buffalo, McDermott said, "I'm not gonna go into any more detail than I said." Then, asked if McCoy was available in a trade, McDermott responded, "Men, this is why I came out and started where I started [in the news conference]. If you just want to hear the same reply, I'll give you the same reply. I respect where you're coming from and the jobs you have to do. Respect where I'm coming from. He's a valuable member of our football team, and I'm gonna leave it at that." "I heard about it [trade rumors], " McCoy told reporters Wednesday. "I kind of just stay focused on the job, the task at hand. I'll let that stuff work itself out. We'll see what happens." The NFL's trade deadline is Oct. 30, the day after the Bills host the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football in Week 8. McCoy, who missed the Bills' Week 3 win over Minnesota because of a rib injury, ran a season-high 24 times for 85 yards in Sunday's win over the Tennessee Titans. In four games, McCoy has 170 rushing yards on 45 carries, as well as 10 catches for 64 yards. He has not yet scored a touchdown. "I should have never gotten traded [from Philadelphia] anyway," McCoy said. "I was killing stuff, you know? But I don't ever really pay too much attention to it. This week we got the Texans. I'll worry about that. Good defense, lot of big-name guys on that defensive line. I got my hands full this week. Last week was my first week of really getting out there running, try to get some rust off and actually get going play after play. Really felt good." The Eagles drafted McCoy in the second round of the 2009 draft and traded him to the Bills following the 2014 season. McCoy is being sued by his ex-girlfriend in Georgia, who accuses him of being involved in a July home invasion in which she was beaten and robbed of jewelry. McCoy's ex-girlfriend Delicia Cordon also accuses McCoy of physical abuse against her, against his son and against his dog. Police in the Atlanta suburb of Milton, where McCoy owns the home in which Cordon was allegedly attacked, said last month that their investigation is ongoing but that McCoy has not cooperated.