LeSean McCoy News & Rumors

AFC East Notes: McCoy, Fitzpatrick, Dolphins

October 25th, 2016 at 3:39pm CST by Zachary Links

After Bills running back LeSean McCoy aggravated his hamstring on Sunday, one source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter) he’ll “be [in the] same position this week, probably questionable” for this Sunday. After falling 28-25 to Miami, the Bills return home to take on the New England. Given his past hamstring issues and his importance to the team, one has to wonder why the Bills aren’t putting him on the shelf and starting Mike Gillislee instead.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

Injured Jets wide receiver Eric Decker, a close friend of Ryan Fitzpatrick, suggested the quarterback’s protracted contract stalemate may have fueled him to light up team brass after the win against Baltimore. “Throughout the offseason, I think it was hard for him, just trying to gauge the interest, I guess, maybe the Jets had or what their plan was going forward in getting him in the facility to start the season,” Decker told ESPN Radio (link). “Whether it’s some feelings on the process or what was said throughout that maybe led to some of the emotions he had at this point.”
Is defensive tackle Jordan Phillips falling out of favor with the Dolphins? Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph ripped into the 2015 second-round pick this week. “The bottom line is Jordan has got to play better overall,” Joseph said (via Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald). “Out of 35 plays, Jordan is playing a solid 25 plays very solidly. He’s having four or five plays where it’s not very good. I think Ndamukong Suh is playing well. “I think Suh gets doubled a lot, but I think Jordan could play better. Obviously, getting Earl Mitchell back in a couple weeks, that’s going to help us there. Losing Earl was a big deal for us inside, because now you’ve got probably three inside starters. Getting Earl back in two weeks, that’s going to help us a lot.”
Earlier today, the Patriots acquired linebacker Kyle Van Noy in a trade with the Lions.

Extra Points: Brown, Gould, McCoy, Trades

October 23rd, 2016 at 9:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

The latest coming out of the Josh Brown saga features a dispute between the NFL and NFLPA regarding the handling of this case. The NFL is under fire for its one-game suspension of the Giants kicker, but a source informs Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk the league received pressure from the NFLPA on this matter.

Brown’s suspension for Week 1 came down more than 14 months after the domestic abuse arrest occurred, and the league acted before the King County (Wash.) Sheriff’s Office finished its investigation — one that produced the confession Brown had abused his ex-wife. The source informed Florio the NFLPA was putting pressure on the league to reach a decision quickly. That wouldn’t be a good look for the union considering the details unearthed by the legal investigation would have likely triggered a longer suspension. Brown is now on the commissioner’s exempt list, and the 37-year-old’s prospects of kicking again in light of these revelations are slim.

The NFLPA denies this claim, a source familiar with the union’s thinking told Florio, and dismisses the notion union-generated pressure would have mattered since the league has full autonomy regarding the application of the personal conduct policy. The NFL waited 14 months to render its tame verdict, and waiting until the police concluded their investigation could have saved it from some more bad PR optics.

Here’s more from around the league as the Sunday-night NFC West battle awaits its first touchdown.

Brown’s placement on the exempt list is expected to clear a path for Robbie Gould to become the Giants’ full-time kicker, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Gould likely does not sign with the Giants if he wasn’t going to have the opportunity to win the job and have a chance to finish the season with the team, per Rapoport. The longtime Bears kicker worked out for the Browns earlier this season in what would have been for a shorter-term fix, but this unfortunate circumstance opened the door for another regular gig.
The initial plan for LeSean McCoy was to miss Sunday’s Bills-Dolphins game, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. Anderson initially reported McCoy was facing a potential multi-game absence, but the Bills’ top ball-carrying weapon said postgame he felt fine during pregame warmups, per Josh Alper of PFT. Rex Ryan added he wouldn’t have put McCoy out there if he wasn’t 100 percent, though McCoy leaving the game early could delay his timetable and place his status for next week’s key Patriots tilt in question. Shady characterized the injury as minor, but hamstring maladies are particularly troublesome for skill-position talents.
Cameron Erving left the Ohio showdown, and the Browns‘ starting center will undergo tests Monday, Hue Jackson said (via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com). Jackson categorized this as an illness, but Cabot notes if this is related to the bruised lung he sustained against the Ravens earlier this season then the second-year blocker could be lost for the remainder of 2016. The Browns removed him at halftime. Cleveland’s line, which moved on from Mitchell Schwartz and Alex Mack after free agency defections, already lost Joel Bitonio for the season earlier this month. Reserve center Austin Reiter also tore his ACL in Week 4.
In advance of their 27-21 victory over the Saints, the Chiefs worked out guard Kadeem Edwards, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Edwards failed to make the Jaguars’ roster out of training camp.
We heard earlier about the Joe Thomas trade market heating up again, but Florio notes trade-related chatter hasn’t been plentiful so far. If it does ignite in advance of the 3pm CT deadline on Nov. 1, Florio lists the Jets and Bears as potential sellers, with Sheldon Richardson, Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery as logical trade chips. Richardson has incurred multiple suspensions and saw the Jets award Muhammad Wilkerson with a lucrative extension, while Jeffery is playing this season on a franchise tag worth $14.599MM. Marshall, of course, has been traded three times. He’s under contract through the 2017 season, but the 32-year-old receiver doesn’t have any guaranteed money left on a deal that would slot him with a $7.5MM cap number next season.

LeSean McCoy To See Limited Role?

October 22nd, 2016 at 5:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

LeSean McCoy‘s status has vacillated from missing multiple weeks to being back in the Bills’ lineup Sunday. The hamstring injury the standout ball-carrier sustained this week did not stop him from traveling with the Bills to Miami and could be mild enough to allow the seventh-year running back to have a role in Week 7, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).

Signs are pointing for McCoy to play in a limited capacity against the Dolphins, per La Canfora, with Mike Gillislee in that case seeing his role expand. Shady is expected to be active for the game, La Canfora notes.

Both are running well on a per-carry basis for a rejuvenated Buffalo outfit, but Shady has amassed 100-plus rushing yards in three of the four games since Anthony Lynn replaced Greg Roman as the Bills’ OC.

We heard earlier this week McCoy could be facing a multi-week absence because of the hamstring setback, so expecting a full workload from the darkhorse MVP candidate might be a stretch. Despite the danger of hamstring injuries on skill-position players, and McCoy’s own history with this type of injury, the Bills did not make a move to add a running back this week. The Bills have Reggie Bush and Jonathan Williams behind Gillislee if McCoy can’t go.

Having rushed for 587 yards (5.6 per carry) this season, McCoy is on pace for his fifth 1,000-yard campaign. He only gained 895 on the ground in his 2015 Bills debut. He missed time in ’15 due to a hamstring ailment, which could induce the Bills to play it safe with their cornerstone offensive threat. But it’s shaping up as a true game-time decision in advance of the 1 p.m. tilt.

Latest On Bills RB LeSean McCoy

October 20th, 2016 at 3:25pm CST by Zachary Links

Bills running back LeSean McCoy is not playing this Sunday and could miss more time after that depending on how he heals, a source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

McCoy has been having a strong season for Buffalo, averaging 5.6 yards per carry through six games. Shady also has six touchdowns and one receiving touchdown, making him one of the NFL’s most productive running backs so far in this young season. Losing McCoy will hurt Buffalo, though they do have a talented backup in Mike Gillislee.

Gillislee is expected to start when the Bills face the Dolphins on Monday. Buffalo may also make a move to add another tailback to the roster.

Last year, racked up 1,187 total yards from scrimmage in 12 games. When he was out, Karlos Williams stepped up and kept Buffalo’s ground game moving. With any luck, the Bills can stay afloat with Gillislee, Jonathan Williams, and Reggie Bush in the backfield if McCoy has to miss significant time.

AFC Notes: McCoy, Geno, Raiders, Vegas, Bell

July 23rd, 2016 at 5:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

LeSean McCoy will be going into his second Bills season now in the clear of a potential suspension as a result of his alleged actions in a nightclub brawl with off-duty police officers this February in Philadelphia. The eighth-year running back is now well aware of how he’s viewed publicly after the incident but is brushing it off.

“The only opinions that people really get about players is what they see TV or what the media gives them,” McCoy said, via Aaron Kasinitz of PennLive.com. “If the media only paints a picture of a player as this or whatever that may be, then that’s what the people see. So I don’t really go back and forth about that.”

The 28-year-old running back did not face criminal charges for his alleged role in the brawl. He’s under contract with the Bills for four more seasons.

Here’s the latest from the AFC on the final Saturday before training camps commence.

During an interview with Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, Todd Bowles gave Geno Smith a reasonable endorsement as the fourth-year quarterback prepares to enter camp as the Jets’ de facto starter. “I think Geno can be a good starter, but he’s got to prove it in training camp like everybody else,” Bowles said. “It’s not just about the quarterback position. You got to have a team around that position to play ball, but he’s been in the system a year. He has a better grasp of it going into training camp and we’ll see what he does.” Bowles did not address the situation with Ryan Fitzpatrick, whom remains unsigned and could remain as such until deep into the preseason.
Jerry Jones‘ status as the league’s most influential owner — and most influential person, per USA Today — bodes well for the Raiders‘ chances at securing enough votes to move to Las Vegas, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. Jones hasn’t been shy in voicing his interest in the NFL expanding into the Nevada market, and Thomas, pointing to Jones’ role in steering the Rams from St. Louis to Los Angeles, notes enough owners will fall in line should the Cowboys’ boss declare his full support for the Raiders’ prospective venture. “When I walked into my first meeting in the NFL, everybody said, ‘We’ve got to always protect the game. We can’t compromise it,’ ” Jones said during an appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd. “Well, we’re beyond that. We don’t compromise the game, in my view, by being in Las Vegas or being near wagering.” The Southern Nevada Tourism and Infrastructure Committee has until Sept. 30 to finalize a stadium financing plan, a step Oakland has not approached.
The Steelers being unable to rely on Le’Veon Bell should steer the franchise away from the talented running back, Paul Zeise of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes. Before word of a four-game suspension leaked Friday, Bell stood in line to potentially secure a top-of-the-line running back contract due to his versatility. Now, that’s not as certain. The Steelers not paying Bell would leave more room for a seemingly long-overdue Antonio Brown extension, and Zeise writes the reliable wideout should receive that payday at the expense of Bell’s alleged errors in judgment.
The Colts will have to make a decision on Arthur Jones after his latest setback — a four-game suspension for a violation of the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy — since the former Ravens defensive end has not remotely delivered on the five-year, $33MM contract he signed before the 2014 season, Mike Wells of ESPN.com offers. Limited by ankle injuries prior to this suspension, Jones has played nine games in two seasons for the Colts. The oldest brother in a family that’s been scrutinized over the past year, with Chandler Jones and UFC fighter Jon Jones also running into trouble, Arthur Jones will lose $588K as a result of this suspension. But the Colts are uncertain about when his backup, Henry Anderson, will be back after a season-ending injury in Week 9 marred his offseason as well.

NFL Will Not Suspend Bills RB LeSean McCoy

July 13th, 2016 at 9:20am CST by Zachary Links

The NFL will not take any action against Bills running back LeSean McCoy for his role in a nightclub brawl earlier this year, a league spokesman tells Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (on Twitter).

Although McCoy didn’t face any criminal charges as a result of the February incident, that didn’t necessarily take him off the hook with the NFL, since the league can conduct its own investigation and hand out discipline accordingly.

McCoy, who earned a Pro Bowl nod during his first season with the Bills in 2015, was at a Philadelphia nightclub in February when he and three of his companions fought with at least two off-duty police officers. As a result of the altercation, the Bills were initially planning as if they would be without their standout running back to start the season, but it seems that the lack of evidence which resulted in the D.A. not pressing charges has also prompted the NFL to decide against a suspension.

Although McCoy had a strong first season in Buffalo, racking up 1,187 total yards from scrimmage in 12 games, the team still managed to get its rushing attack going when he was forced out of action due to injuries. First-year back Karlos Williams averaged an impressive 5.6 yards per carry on 93 attempts, and would have been in line for a larger role early in the 2016 season if the NFL had suspended McCoy.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Rumors: McCoy, Fins, Pats, Jets, Cowboys

April 16th, 2016 at 3:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although LeSean McCoy was cleared of wrongdoing from the alleged brawl that took place involving the Bills running back and off-duty Philadelphia police officers, the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office will review the Philadelphia district attorney’s decision not to charge McCoy for the Feb. 7 incident, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com reports.

State Solicitor General Bruce Castor said McCoy and others possibly involved in the fight “are not totally cleared” of charges despite Philadelphia DA Seth Williams’ decision earlier this month not to charge the former Eagles ball-carrier. If the Pennsylvania DA’s office determines McCoy should have been charged for his role in the melee, Rodak reports it could ask a court to overturn Williams’ decision.

Citing insufficient evidence, Williams cleared McCoy of potential charges. Although we heard earlier this week McCoy is unlikely to face an NFL suspension despite the league conducting its own investigation, an overturn of Williams’ decision would increase the likelihood the Bills’ starting running back would miss time this season.

Here’s more from the Eastern divisions.

Ezekiel Elliott will visit the Dolphins on Monday and Tuesday, James Walker of ESPN.com reports. Miami having lost Lamar Miller and missed out on signing C.J. Anderson and Chris Johnson makes the team’s interest in backfield help fairly clear. “They do have a hole at running back, and they do have some good people around on offense,” Elliott said. “It seems like the running back is the spot that they’re missing out on. So I think it would be a pretty good fit.”
The Patriots do not treat their 30 allotted pre-draft visits like recruiting trips as some of their NFL brethren do, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reports, with the six-time 21st-century AFC champions devoting an entire work day (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) to meeting with the prospect(s) in their facility rather than taking the player(s) to dinner. The secretive organization also prefers the players it’s serious about drafting not to leak word of the visit. The Pats abruptly cancelled Nate Solder‘s 2011 meeting when details of the summit surfaced, but New England drafted the tackle anyway.
Recently released defensive tackle Dominique Easley sent out an Instagram post thanking the Patriots for his time there, Volin relays. The Globe reporter notes upon Easley being drafted in the first round two years ago, he soon wanted nothing to do with the organization, refusing to listen to the team regarding his knee rehab process.
Former Patriots practice squad quarterback Garrett Gilbert will count $9K toward New England’s 2016 salary cap after winning a grievance related to a roster bonus that the team didn’t pay when the Lions claimed him last June, Volin reports. Gilbert has yet to throw a regular-season pass but did collect a Super Bowl ring from his work with the 2014 Patriots.
A Manhattan federal judge ordered the video from a 2012 incident involving Brandon Marshall to be made public, Kimberley Martin of Newsday reports. A federal jury last week found the Jets wideout not liable for one count of assault and one count of battery in the civil case in which a woman claimed the then-Dolphins wideout punched her in the face.
Tony Romo said Saturday he’s resumed throwing and has been delivering passes using his full throwing motion for nearly two weeks, per the Cowboys website. Recovery time from the Mumford procedure Romo underwent for his troublesome collarbone issues March 8 was slated at six-to-eight weeks.
Cowboys personnel worked out Jared Goff on Saturday morning in Berkley, Calif. Jason Garrett and Jerry Jones were among the team’s representatives there, and Jones, per Peter King (on Twitter), loved what he saw from the Cal quarterback. The Cowboys pick fourth, and after the Rams’ trade that allowed them to vault from No. 15 to No. 1, and may not be in position to take Goff any longer.

No Suspension Expected For LeSean McCoy

April 11th, 2016 at 11:53am CST by Luke Adams

A lengthy investigation into a nightclub altercation involving LeSean McCoy ended last week, with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office announcing that no charges would be filed against the Bills running back or anyone else involved in the incident, due to “insufficient evidence.”

Although McCoy won’t face any criminal charges as a result of the February incident, that didn’t necessarily take him off the hook with the NFL, since the league can conduct its own investigation and hand out discipline accordingly. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) that McCoy is not expected to face any discipline from the NFL. That’s not set in stone – the league’s investigation is ongoing – but for now things look good for the veteran back.

McCoy, who earned a Pro Bowl nod during his first season with the Bills in 2015, was at a Philadelphia nightclub in February when he and three of his companions fought with at least two off-duty police officers. As a result of the altercation, the Bills had been planning as if they would be without their standout running back to start the season, but it seems that the lack of evidence which resulted in the D.A. not pressing charges will also prompt the NFL to decide against a suspension.

Although McCoy had a strong first season in Buffalo, racking up 1,187 total yards from scrimmage in 12 games, the team still managed to get its rushing attack going when he was forced out of action due to injuries. First-year back Karlos Williams averaged an impressive 5.6 yards per carry on 93 attempts, and would take on a larger role early in the 2016 season if the NFL unexpectedly changes course and suspends McCoy.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

LeSean McCoy Will Not Be Charged

April 4th, 2016 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

1:44pm: Philadelphia DA Seth Williams announced that there is “insufficient evidence” to bring charges against McCoy, as David Gabacorta of Philadelphia Magazine tweets.

10:00am: Dennis Cogan, McCoy’s attorney, tells Mark Schwarz of ESPN that the Philadelphia D.A.’s office will have a news conference at 2:30pm ET today, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.

9:53am: The Philadelphia District Attorney is not expected to issue any arrest warrants related to a February altercation between off-duty police officers and a group of four men that included Bills running back LeSean McCoy, reports Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter links). According to McLane, the D.A.’s office is expected to formally announce its decision today or tomorrow.

McCoy, who earned a Pro Bowl nod during his first season with the Bills in 2015, has been under investigation for nearly two months for his role in an altercation at a Philadelphia nightclub, when he and three of his companions fought with at least two off-duty police officers. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, no charges will be filed due to a lack of clear evidence.

Still, while McCoy may not face legal ramifications for the altercation, a suspension is still a possibility for the running back, since the NFL will conduct its own investigation. A report in February indicated that the Bills were planning as if the Pro Bowler would miss games.

If McCoy is ultimately suspended for his role in the nightclub incident, the Bills would likely turn to Karlos Williams as their starter to open the 2016 season. Although McCoy would be missed in that scenario, Buffalo could probably get by with Williams leading the rushing attack for a few weeks — in his rookie season, he averaged an impressive 5.6 yards per carry and scored nine touchdowns.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC East Rumors: Fitzpatrick, Dolphins, Bills

March 3rd, 2016 at 11:43am CST by Luke Adams

As negotiations between the two sides continue, the Jets have made it clear to Ryan Fitzpatrick and his representatives that they want Fitzpatrick to be their starting quarterback in 2016, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). However, according to Cole, the Jets’ offers to Fitzpatrick so far don’t necessarily reflect the going rate for starting quarterbacks.

Cole adds that while the Jets players like Fitzpatrick, there are some that wouldn’t mind seeing the team bring in another viable option at the position to challenge the incumbent veteran.

As we wait to see whether the Jets can lock up Fitzpatrick to a new deal before free agency gets underway next week, let’s check in on several other items from out of the AFC East….

The Dolphins have reportedly identified five or six defensive ends in free agency and the draft that they’ll go after if Olivier Vernon signs elsewhere, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Salguero explores some of the possibilities, suggesting that even if the team brings back Vernon and Derrick Shelby, another addition at the position may be necessary.
With the outcome of the Philadelphia D.A.’s investigation into LeSean McCoy still unresolved,the Bills have some uncertainty at the running back position as the new league year approaches. However, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com outlines, McCoy isn’t the only player whose future with the team remains somewhat up in the air to some extent.
The Bills would like to bring back as many of their restricted free agents as possible, according to general manager Doug Whaley, who says the club is “working on it” (Twitter link via Rodak). That may be easier said than done, since low-end RFA tenders will cost $1.6MM+ each, and Buffalo doesn’t have a ton of cap room to work with.
After their tight ends combined for just eight receptions in 2015, the Jets could be in the market for a free agent TE this offseason. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com explores that possibility.
With the NFL and the NFLPA set to return to court to revisit the Deflategate saga and the vacated suspension for Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, SI.com’s Michael McCann provides a primer on what to expect.

Load More Posts