Retirement or Not ? : What Should Shady do?

Retirement or Not ? : What Should Shady do?

Note: Before you read this article, please keep in mind that Shady is one of my all-time favorite NFL players

    Throughout the history of the Buffalo Bills, I don’t think many trades can compare with the Shady McCoy trade that was made back in 2015. Throughout their history, maybe the trade for Cornelius Bennett, Drew Bledsoe or the Tom Cousineau trade for the pick that was used on Jim Kelly but the trade for McCoy is still fresh in the minds of many around Western New York.

    That’s for good reason. Yeah, it was side to see Kiko go to the Eagles but not only was he hurt, but hindsight has also shown that besides his rookie season, Alonso really hasn’t done all that much in the NFL. Yet, the Eagles were willing to take a risk on him by means of sending their All-Pro running back to Buffalo. What a terrible trade to make in hindsight but that’s the Chip Kelly-era Eagles for you.

    So it was that the Eagles all-time leading rusher became a member of the Buffalo Bills. A five-year, 40 million dollar contract came Shady’s way shortly thereafter. Nursing a nagging hamstring injury showcased the limited production during the 2015 season.

    Despite the injury that would come against the Redskins later that season, McCoy regained form during that 2015 season, snagging seven straight 100 yards from scrimmage outings and earning to trip to Honolulu. He even made headlines during his return to Philly, where he publicly expressed that he wouldn’t be shaking hands with Chip Kelly and by golly; he was good on his word.

    2016 is when Shady truly regained his form. He rushed for 1,267 yards and 13 touchdowns on 234 carries, good enough for 5.4 yards per carry. He was named to yet another Pro Bowl and helped the Bills lead the league in rushing for the second straight season. The following season would see the Bills return to the playoffs and though he initially struggled within Rick Dennison’s offense, Shady’s persistent outing gave him yet another Pro Bowl invite.

    All smiles, right?

    Well, …2018 was a different year for Mr. LeSean McCoy. The absence of Eric Wood and Richie Incognito were telling, as was the constant nagging of injuries Shady’s been battling for god knows how long. 514 yards, three touchdowns and 3.2 yards per carry average were all career lows for Shady. Despite this lack of production, Brandon Beane assured the public that LeSean McCoy will remain a Buffalo Bill until the end of his contract.

    Here’s the whole thing Mr. Beane, is that the best option? If Shady’s going to have the kind of season like he did in 2018, who’s to say 2019 won’t be worse? Unless the Bills O-Line can become the hogs or if Shady can tap into his inner OJ, I feel he’d be best used as a mentor to the younger Bills backs.

    Therein lies another problem, the other Bills backs aren’t that good. To be a little more kind, they’re nowhere near as good as Shady was. As of right now, Shady remains the Bills top running back that’s eating up 9 million in cap space. If the Bills cut him, they’d be saving 6 million dollars they might be looking to spend elsewhere.

    It’s a real shame too because Shady’s been my favorite Bill ever since he arrived. His speed and shiftiness call to mind highlights of OJ Simpson. Say what you will about OJ’s career off of the field, no one can deny what the man accomplished on the field. LeSean McCoy’s been to six Pro Bowls but you don’t get ahead in this league because of what you’ve done. Only what you do.

    There’s been talk that the Bills should look elsewhere for their top option at running back. There’s been some discussion about the Bills going after Le’Veon Bell. If Le’Veon Bell was to join the Bills, how would this affect Shady? Would he swallow his pride and act as an advisor to these backs? More likely, his ego would get in the way and he’d demand a trade somewhere else.

    It’s painful for me to write these things about Shady because I have nothing but love and respect for the way he’s played. He’s been a great transaction for the Bills but since he’s entering the final year of his contract, it’s far more likely that the Bills dump him sooner rather than later (regardless of what Brandon Beane claims).

    I feel the Bills would regret missing out on Bell just because they want to keep Shady happy but if LeSean McCoy truly wants to be a great asset to the Bills in 2019, I feel he should step aside and offer guidance to the younger backs. Then again, who knows? Maybe 2019 will see Shady earn the NFL’s comeback player of the year.

It remains to be seen.

-By: Thomas P. Braun Jr.