Bills running back LeSean McCoy returned to practice on Thursday and that could be a sign that Shady will be activated for Monday night against Seattle. McCoy was sidelined for last week’s loss to the Patriots, leaving backup Mike Gillislee in the top role.
“I feel good,” McCoy said (link via NFL.com). “First day back out here. Ran some routes. I feel a lot better today than I have.”
Coach Rex Ryan echoed those thoughts, calling McCoy’s practice “a positive sign.” So far this year, the tailback has 112 carries for 598 yards and a career-best 5.3 yards per attempt.
Here’s more from the AFC East:
- Tyrod Taylor‘s unconventional five-year extension gave the Bills an escape hatch if he flopped and a team-friendly deal in the event that he became an elite quarterback. So far, neither one of those scenarios have played out and that stands to benefit Taylor, ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak writes. Without a better option, the Bills pretty much have to trigger Taylor’s $27.5MM option – barring a dramatic second half slide. And, because he hasn’t been exceptional this year, Taylor isn’t missing out on a larger payday on the open market. As Rodak notes, Taylor has been the NFL’s best running QB, totaling a league-high 319 rushing yards and 17 rushing first downs plus three rushing touchdowns. At the same time, he has completed only 58.7% of his passes.
- Scouts believe that Sheldon Richardson is a better player than Muhammad Wilkerson, but the Jets brain trust believes that they are mostly interchangeable in Todd Bowles’ system, Manish Mehta of the Daily News writes. That is something to keep in mind as the Jets go into the offseason with the belief that they probably have to trade one of the two players. After Wilkerson inked a lucrative five-year extension over the summer, it seems like Richardson is more likely to go. In theory, Gang Green could try and carve out room to keep Wilkerson, Richardson, and young star Leonard Williams, but it’s clear that they need to convert that defensive line surplus into help in other areas.