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Bills Not Shopping LeSean McCoy

August 22nd, 2017 at 5:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bills are not shopping running back LeSean McCoy and have no intention of doing so, sources tell Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.LeSean McCoy (Vertical)

On its face, a McCoy trade could make sense for a Buffalo club that looks to be on the verge of a rebuild (if it isn’t already there). The Bills, of course, dealt wide receiver Sammy Watkins and cornerback Ronald Darby earlier this month, and while general manager Brandon Beane received veterans in those deals (Jordan Matthews and E.J. Gaines), the clear impetus behind the moves was draft capital. Buffalo picked up a 2018 second-round pick in the Watkins trade, and a 2018 third-rounder in the Darby swap.

McCoy, then, doesn’t particularly fit in with the Bills’ current direction, especially given his age (he turned 29 in July) and his salary. Signed through 2019, McCoy is currently the league’s second-highest-paid running back on a multi-year deal, trailing only Devonta Freeman. If McCoy was traded, Buffalo would pick up $6.25MM in 2017 cap space, with $2.625MM and $5.25MM in dead money accruing on the team’s salary cap in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Clearing cap space wouldn’t be the primary goal in a McCoy deal, however — instead, the Bills would be aiming to acquire some sort of draft pick compensation for a still-productive running back. Last season, McCoy appeared in 15 games and topped 1,000 rushing for the fifth time in his career while scoring 13 times on the ground. He also added 50 receptions (his highest total since 2013) for 356 yards and one more score.

The Bills don’t have an excessive amount of depth behind at running back behind McCoy, though, and 2016 fifth-round selection Jonathan Williams would likely become the primary beneficiary of a McCoy trade. Veterans Mike Tolbert, Joe Banyard, and Taiwan Jones are also on the Buffalo roster, but none have experience as a lead back.

NFL Trade Rumors: Buffalo BillsLeSean McCoy

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