It’s no secret that the Buccaneers need help in their backfield, especially now that Tom Brady is under center. While the Bucs boast arguably the league’s best passing attack with wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, their run game leaves something to be desired. With Ronald Jones as the incumbent starter, Tampa Bay needs more help, especially since Peyton Barber bolted for the Redskins in free agency.
One running back on the market still looking for a home is LeSean McCoy, who was recently named to the NFL All-Decade Team. McCoy made a name for himself during his time with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2009-2014, and even put up two 1,000-yard seasons during his four-year stint with the Buffalo Bills. Last season, the six-time Pro Bowler was a part of the Kansas City Chiefs team that wound up winning Super Bowl LIV, but his numbers were modest by his standards — 465 rushing and four touchdowns on just 101 carries.
McCoy will be 32 when the 2020 season rolls around, and despite the fact that he has logged over 11,000 rushing yards over the course of his illustrious career, the running back recently told SiriusXM NFL Radio that he feels he has more fuel left in the tank. “I really just want to play two more years,” McCoy said during the interview. “If it doesn’t go well, just let your body talk to you. My body feels fine.”
McCoy said he’s looking at a couple of teams right now, but given the restrictions with travel due to the coronavirus pandemic, he feels he’ll likely have to wait until after the draft before finding a new team. One of his stipulations is going to a winning franchise that has all the right pieces. While the Bucs certainly haven’t been a winning franchise over the past decade, the addition of Brady makes them a legit playoff contender.
So, would the Bucs consider adding McCoy to their backfield?
It seems unlikely for a few reasons. One, his age. The upcoming draft has depth at the running back position, and several mock drafts foresee the Bucs taking a back in the second or third round. Also, when McCoy was available for a trade back in the 2015 offseason, before the Eagles dealt him to the Bills, then-Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians declined to pursue the running back.
Arians says on @NFL_AM he knew McCoy was available in trade. Says he "wasn’t a fit” for Cards.
— Gregg Rosenthal (@greggrosenthal) March 4, 2015
Arians may have been talking more about McCoy’s cap number than anything else. At the time, the running back had a cap hit of $10.25 million for the 2015 season, second-highest among running backs behind only Adrian Peterson. But, you have to imagine that if Arians really loved McCoy and what he could bring to the table, he would’ve tried to find a way to make it work.
Even though McCoy is available once again, the Bucs would be wise to invest in a young running back with a cap-friendly contract rather than pursue a veteran whose body has already been through the ringer. Tampa Bay is a passing team first and foremost, so while McCoy may still have something to offer, it doesn’t seem like the Bucs are the right place for him.
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