LeSean McCoy News & Rumors

Bills Exploring Extension For Tyrod Taylor

February 25th, 2016 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bills have reached out to Tyrod Taylor‘s agent about a potential contract extension for the signal-caller, reports Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News (via Twitter). “This is a week where we’ll delve more into it,” said general manager Doug Whaley.

Taylor, 26, initially signed a three-year contract last winter with the Bills, but the third year of that deal was voided after he spent most of the 2015 campaign as the team’s starting quarterback. His cap number for 2016 also received a bump to $3MM+ based on a salary escalator.

Starting for the first time in his career, Taylor threw for 3,035 yards and 20 touchdowns in 14 games in 2015, completing 63.7% of his passes and tossing just six interceptions. He also provided plenty of value with his legs, rushing for 568 yards and four TDs.

While Taylor’s performance perhaps didn’t quite cement him as the Bills’ quarterback of the future, it certainly put him in the driver’s seat, so it makes sense that the team would explore the possibility of locking him up to a longer-term deal as he prepares to enter a contract year. It sounds as if talks are still in the early stages, and the Bills likely won’t be in any rush to get something done in the next couple weeks, prioritizing the club’s pending free agents instead.

However, the Bills will probably want to get a sense by the draft of whether or not an extension for Taylor will be doable, since it could affect the team’s plans — Buffalo may be more inclined to select a QB this year if there’s a possibility Taylor won’t be with the franchise beyond 2016.

Here are several more of Thursday’s updates on the Bills:

A source close to LeSean McCoy told Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (Twitter link) earlier today that he doesn’t expect the running back to be charged for his role in a Philadelphia nightclub altercation. However, a spokesman for the Philadelphia D.A.’s office insists no decisions have been made, adding that the investigation is still ongoing, per Joe Buscaglia of WKBW (Twitter link). Mike Rodak of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter) that no resolution is expected tonight or tomorrow.
Asked whether the franchise tag is an option for left tackle Cordy Glenn, Bills GM Doug Whaley said all options are open, and that the team doesn’t want to back itself into a corner. Whaley also expressed confidence in the club’s chances of signing both Glenn and guard Richie Incognito, despite cap limitations (Twitter links via Tyler Dunne).
The Bills will talk to several players’ agents at this week’s combine about potential pay cuts, according to Dunne, who tweets that the team has little choice. Could one of those pay cut candidates be defensive end Mario Williams? “We’re going to try to find a solution that’s best for the Buffalo Bills,” Whaley said today, regarding Williams (Twitter link via Dunne).
Whaley said the Bills are excited about this year’s draft class, since it’s very deep in “areas of perceived needs for us.” The front seven is one of those areas, tweets Dunne.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bills Planning As If McCoy Will Miss Games

February 24th, 2016 at 9:13am CST by Luke Adams

With the Philadelphia District Attorney’s investigation into LeSean McCoy ongoing, the Bills are planning for the 2016 season as if their top running back will miss the first few games, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). While it sounds as if the Bills are bracing for a potential suspension, that indicates the team probably plans to keep McCoy on its roster rather than cutting ties with him.

McCoy, who earned a Pro Bowl nod during his first season with the Bills in 2015, is under investigation for his role in an altercation at a Philadelphia nightclub earlier this month, when he and three of his companions fought with at least two off-duty police officers. The Philadelphia D.A.’s office has yet to decide whether to issue an arrest warrant for McCoy for his role in the incident, but even if the running back doesn’t face charges, he could face a suspension from the NFL, which will conduct its own investigation.

A meeting scheduled yesterday between McCoy, his attorneys, and representatives from the Philadelphia D.A.’s office had to be rescheduled and relocated to McCoy’s attorney’s office after it was leaked to the media, as ESPN’s Mike Rodak details. It’s not clear what was discussed at the meeting, but there has been some tension between the D.A.’s office and representatives of a Philadelphia police union, whose members, including president John McNesby, believe McCoy is receiving preferential treatment.

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.

East Rumors: McCoy, Cruz, Culliver, Jets

February 23rd, 2016 at 3:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Bills running back LeSean McCoy had been scheduled to meet with Philadelphia district attorney Seth Williams at his office this afternoon at 4:00pm eastern time, per multiple reports. But when word of that meeting got out, it was canceled, according to John Gonzalez of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter links), who says McCoy’s lawyers wanted to avoid a media circus and were upset that the news was leaked.

According to a report from ABC 6 Action News in Philadelphia, however, the meeting hasn’t been canceled — it has just changed venues. Action News indicates that the meeting between McCoy (or perhaps just his lawyers) and the district attorney is happening now. Williams is reportedly still weighing whether to press charges against McCoy and his companions for a nightclub altercation that took place earlier this month.

Here’s more from across the NFL’s East divisions:

Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, coming off a lost season, is set to make $8MM in 2016, but the club seems unlikely to bring him back at that price. Jordan Raanan of NJ.com polled several league sources and found that the general consensus was that the Giants should try to slice Cruz’s salary in half, perhaps giving him some incentives on a one-year deal in the $3-4MM range.
The secondary will be an area of concern for Washington this offseason, according to John Keim of ESPN.com, who says that there’s no doubt cornerback Chris Culliver will return to the team for 2016. Culliver’s one-game suspension in 2015 gave Washington the opportunity to void his guaranteed money for 2016, but the club doesn’t plan to remove the guaranteed portion of his deal, says Keim.
Antonio Cromartie was the first Jets veteran to become a cap casualty this offseason, but he’s unlikely to be the last, writes Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. Cimini identifies tight end Jeff Cumberland, wide receiver Jeremy Kerley, and kicker Nick Folk as possible release candidates.
Paul Schwartz of the New York Post explores whether the Giants could afford to roll the dice on defensive end Noah Spence if the Eastern Kentucky pass rusher is on the board at No. 10 in the draft.

East Rumors: McCoy, R. Matthews, Bradford

February 19th, 2016 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Philadelphia District Attorney’s office released a statement today that essentially says there’s no update on the LeSean McCoy investigation (Twitter link via Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News).

“I understand that people are interested in the outcome of our investigation, but we’re not going to rush because some people are impatient,” said Philadelphia DA R. Seth Williams in the statement, adding that his “only goal is to get it right, not fast.”

Williams said he has not yet decided whether to press charges against the Bills running back or anyone else involved in the nightclub altercation that took place earlier this month, so it looks like we’ll have to wait until at least next week for any sort of decision.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:

Wide receiver Rishard Matthews has been considered likely to leave the Dolphins this offseason, but the club has reached out to Mathews about discussing a new deal, according to Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald. That doesn’t necessarily means that the Fins will re-sign Mathews, but there’s some level of interest in bringing him back.
The Eagles continue to say they want to re-sign quarterback Sam Bradford, with de-facto GM Howie Roseman the latest to weigh in on the topic, as Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com details. Still, Roseman cautioned that any deal has “got to work for the other side and the player” in addition to working for the team. At this point, I’d be surprised if the two sides got something done prior to free agency, unless the Eagles are willing to use the franchise tag, since there’s no incentive for Bradford to accept a below-market offer.
While it’s premature to say Jets linebacker Demario Davis is a goner, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com expects the team to let Davis test the open market, where he’s likely to get a better deal than the Jets will be willing to offer.
According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter), Giants long snapper Zak DeOssie will make $1.1MM on his new one-year contract with the team, which features $275K in guaranteed money.

Latest On LeSean McCoy Investigation

February 18th, 2016 at 1:56pm CST by Luke Adams

When police investigators turned over the nightclub assault case involving LeSean McCoy to Philadelphia’s District Attorney last week, it sounded like arrest warrants would be issued within the next day or two. However, the District Attorney’s office has been very deliberate in going over the case, and John Gonzalez of CSNPhilly.com hears from law enforcement officials that the D.A.’s office is “pushing back” against issuing a warrant for McCoy’s arrest.

According to Gonzalez, there has been some tension during the last few days between the District Attorney’s office and the Philadelphia Police Department due to the delay in charging McCoy and his three companions who were allegedly involved in a nightclub fight with off-duty police officers. Sources tell Gonzalez that the D.A.’s office is hesitant to issue warrants because it has questions about the conduct of those off-duty officers, including the fact that they didn’t call 9-1-1, as well as whether they were drinking to excess.

As the D.A.’s office decides how to proceed, Dennis Cogan, one of McCoy’s attorneys, suggests to Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News that his client doesn’t deserve to face charges.

“We’re awaiting a decision by the DA’s office,” said Dennis Cogan, one of two criminal defense attorneys representing McCoy. “We trust that they are really taking time to consider all the surrounding circumstances. But I’m here to say and I’m telling you that McCoy did nothing wrong, nothing wrong. And he was sober. The questions will have to be asked about the conditions of other people.”

A source close to the investigation tells Carucci that the Philadelphia D.A.’s office will likely hold a news conference on either Thursday or Friday to share its findings, though it’s not clear if that means warrants will be issued.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC East Notes: McCoy, Forte, Dolphins, Jets

February 12th, 2016 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

When police investigators turned over the nightclub assault case involving LeSean McCoy to Philadelphia’s District Attorney earlier this week, it sounded like arrest warrants would be issued by Thursday. That estimate was soon pushed back to the end of the week, and then to next week. Now, it looks like it could be next Wednesday before McCoy formally faces any charges.

McCoy’s attorney said today that the running back’s camp had been informed that no charges would be filed until at least next Wednesday, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter). ESPN’s John Barr clarifies (via Twitter) that McCoy won’t have to turn himself in until Wednesday at the earliest, but it’s possible charges will be filed prior to then. Either way, the Bills running back figures to remain in limbo for at least a few more days as he waits to see what sort of charges will be filed against him for last weekend’s altercation.

Here are a few more updates from out of the AFC East:

After word broke today that the Bears will not be re-signing running back Matt Forte, James Walker of ESPN.com made the case for why the Dolphins – led by former Bears OC Adam Gase – would be an ideal fit for Forte.
Of course, Miami is far from the only potential landing spot for Forte. In a separate piece, ESPN.com’s NFL writers identify 10 more teams that could be fits for the veteran running back, including the Patriots and Jets.
The linebacker position should be the top priority for the Dolphins‘ this offseason, and ought to be addressed by the team in both free agency and the draft, according to Walker.
The Dolphins‘ cap situation may look dire at the moment, but there are plenty of ways the club can fix that this winter, according to Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald, who lists 10 moves Miami could make to create a huge chunk of cap room.
Finding an outside pass rusher should be the Jets‘ focus in the draft this spring, writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News in his latest mailbag.

Latest On LeSean McCoy

February 11th, 2016 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

4:02pm: Philadelphia’s District Attorney’s office is moving deliberately, not wanting to rush into anything, so a decision on possible arrest warrants for McCoy and his companions isn’t expected to happen until next week, sources tell John Gonzalez of NBC10 and CSNPhilly.com.

THURSDAY, 9:13am: A high-ranking Philadelphia police official tells ESPN’s Mark Schwarz that there may not be a decision or an announcement made on a possible arrest warrant for McCoy today. According to the official, the D.A.’s office wants to be thorough before determining potential charges.

Additionally, Jack McMahon tells ESPN that he has withdrawn as McCoy’s attorney, and that the running back will instead be represented by attorney Larry Krasner.

WEDNESDAY, 2:10pm: Bills running back LeSean McCoy, accused of assaulting off-duty Philadelphia police officers earlier this week, is expected to be charged within the next day or two for his involvement in the incident, according to 6 ABC Action News in Philadelphia. Sources tell Action News that arrest warrants related to the case will likely be issued either Wednesday or Thursday.

According to the Action News report, police investigators have sent the results of their investigation to the District Attorney’s office, and have recommended criminal charges, including aggravated assault. It’s not clear whether McCoy and all three of his companions will face the same charges, but the off-duty officers involved in the altercation are not expected to be charged, per Action News.

Depending on how the case plays out, McCoy could be facing discipline from the NFL, in addition to possible prosecution from the legal system. For the time being though, with the offseason underway, there’s no need for the league or the Bills to place the running back on paid leave, since all players are essentially on unpaid leave at this time of year.

If they want to, the Bills could cut McCoy, but based on how they’ve handled run-ins with the law before – such as the arrest of offensive line coach Aaron Kromer last summer – the team likely won’t rush into any decisions. McCoy’s $4.8MM base salary for 2016 is not yet fully guaranteed, but there’s still enough prorated bonus money left on his contract that his cap charge would increase significantly if the Bills were to release him this year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC East Notes: McCoy, Bills, Jets

February 9th, 2016 at 6:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Bills running back LeSean McCoy has hired noted Philly defensive attorney Jack McMahon to represent him, according to John Barr of ESPN.com (via Twitter link). Over the weekend, McCoy was accused of taking part in a brawl that involved the assault of two off-duty Philadelphia police officers. McCoy has yet to be arrested for the incident, but arrest warrants are expected to be issued in the coming days.

McCoy, 28 in July, was held back by injuries in his first season with the Bills. The tailback ran for 895 yards off of 203 carries, good for 4.4 yards per contest. He also had three rushing touchdowns and two receiving scores. However, he missed one-quarter of the regular season, breaking his two season streak of playing in all 16 regular season games.

Here’s more out of the AFC East:

The police have completed their investigation into the McCoy case and turned it over to the district attorney’s office, which is reviewing it for potential charges against the Bills tailback, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets.
Jets guard Brian Winters, who replaced the injured Willie Colon and wound up starting ten games last season, will get a nice raise in 2016 worth roughly $1MM, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. As part of the NFL’s rookie wage scale, Winters’ base salary (non-guaranteed) jumps to $1.696MM, the final year of his rookie contract. Previously, he was due to make $675K. The pay bump is thanks to the “proven performance escalator,” which allows mid- to late-round draft choices to make more money if they play a great deal. A player gets a raise if he was drafted in rounds three through seven and participated in at least 35% of the offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons.
Jets coach Todd Bowles filled three coaching vacancies, as Randy Lange of NewYorkJets.com writes. Bowles promoted John Scott Jr. from defensive quality control coach to assistant defensive line coach, hired David Diaz-Infante as assistant offensive line coach, and brought in Tim Atkins to fill Scott’s role as defensive quality control coach.
The Dolphins are adding Wisconsin defensive backs coach Daronte Jones as an assistant defensive backs coach, a source told Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

LeSean McCoy Accused Of Assaulting Police Officers

February 9th, 2016 at 8:45am CST by Zachary Links

TUESDAY, 8:45am: ESPN’s Mike Rodak and Mark Schwarz have a few more details on the incident, reporting that arrest warrants are expected to be issued in the coming days. Rodak clarifies (via Twitter) that those warrants aren’t expected today, but could be issued later in the week.

MONDAY, 10:35am: The brawl didn’t involve any current members of the Eagles, sources tell Les Bowen of the Daily News (on Twitter).

10:17am: The police report indicates that former NFL running back Curtis Brinkley was also involved, per John Gonzalez of CSNPhilly.com.

10:05am: Apparently, the investigation goes beyond McCoy. Detectives are investigating four NFL players for their alleged involvement in the brawl, per Dave Schratwieser of FOX29 (on Twitter). Sources tell Schratwieser (via Twitter) that the list of injuries includes a fractured skull, broken ribs, and a broken nose. It’s not immediately clear whether both officers have suffered those same injuries or if that injury list is a mash-up of what happened to the two men.

The argument apparently started when bottles of champagne were delivered to police officers before the players (link).

9:53am: Bills running back LeSean McCoy is under investigation for allegedly assaulting two off-duty Philadelphia police officers, sources tell ABC6. The incident is said to have occured around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday in Philly. McCoy has not been arrested, however, and neither has his friend who was also said to be involved in the altercation.

McCoy played for the Eagles from 2009-14 before a blockbuster trade brought him to the Bills last year. McCoy, 28 in July, was held back by injuries in his first season with the Bills. The tailback ran for 895 yards off of 203 carries, good for 4.4 yards per contest. He also had three rushing touchdowns and two receiving scores. However, he missed one-quarter of the regular season, breaking his two season streak of playing in all 16 regular season games.

Although McCoy was not the electrifying playmaker in 2014 that he was in 2013, he still had a very productive season in terms of traditional stats for the Eagles, with 1,319 rushing yards and a 4.2 YPC average. The advanced metrics, meanwhile, showed a much sharper contrast between the two campaigns. That, in part, led to former coach Chip Kelly shipping him to Western New York for linebacker Kiko Alonso.

In 2013, McCoy was rated as the very best tailback in football according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), racking up a 27.3 overall rating which was more than 8 points higher than the runner-up, Jamaal Charles. In 2014, however, McCoy was near the bottom of all qualified tailbacks with a fairly terrible -9.3 grade thanks in large part to his poor showing in the passing game.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bills Notes: Woods, McCoy, Williams, Taylor

December 21st, 2015 at 1:09pm CST by Luke Adams

It appears likely that Robert Woods‘ season will come to an early end. The Bills wide receiver suffered a groin injury, and head coach Rex Ryan told reporters today that it’s “safe to say” it’s a pretty severe one (Twitter link via Joe Buscaglia of WKBW). While the team hasn’t made anything official yet, Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link) hears that Woods will be placed on injured reserve.

With Woods out, there’s “probably a good chance” of Dezmin Lewis being promoted from the Bills’ practice squad to their active roster, according to Ryan (Twitter link via Buscaglia). As we wait for a formal announcement from the club on that roster move, let’s round up a few more items out of Buffalo….

While Woods’ season is probably done, it sounds like LeSean McCoy may get back on the field sometime in the last two weeks. Per Getlin (Twitter link), there are no plans at this time to shut down the running back. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network adds (via Twitter) that McCoy’s MCL sprain may sideline him for Week 16, but he’s expected to be fine for Week 17.
Bills safety Aaron Williams, who is currently on IR with the designation to return due to a neck injury, won’t return to action this season, Ryan said today (link via ESPN’s Mike Rodak). Williams will continue to practice while he remains on IR.
Addressing a pair of reports that surfaced over the weekend, Ryan denied any sort of rift between him and general manager Doug Whaley, adding that he has a “great deal of respect” for the Bills’ GM. Ryan also dismissed the idea that anyone within the organization doubted whether Mario Williams was sick last week, suggesting that story was “made up” (all Twitter links via Buscaglia).
Ryan was also asked about Williams’ comments from Sunday, in which the defensive end didn’t express any openness to the idea of accepting a pay cut to remain in Buffalo. While the Buffalo head coach said he’d love to have Williams – and everyone else on the team – back next season, he acknowledged that change is a part of the NFL offseason (Twitter link via Buscaglia).
Ryan gave Tyrod Taylor another vote of confidence, telling reporters that the team is “pretty sure” of who its quarterback will be heading into 2016 (Twitter link via Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News).
Bills outside linebacker Randell Johnson sustained a high ankle sprain, and doesn’t have a great chance to play in Week 16, tweets Buscaglia. Johnson may be a candidate for IR.

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