LeSean McCoy talked to the media yesterday. Because Buffalo signed Frank Gore and T.J. Yeldon and drafted Devin Singletary, there's some question as to who the team's lead back will be. McCoy said he's been told he's the guy. Which makes you wonder what he hasn't been told.
"I’m the guy. I feel like that. That’s what I’ve been told,” said McCoy. “That’s my every day approach. We’re all a team and trying to help each other out to win games, compete against each other and make each other better. Me and Frank have been competing for years."
McCoy knows more about his status than any of us do, so maybe we're missing the boat characterizing him as a committee back and ranking him outside the top 40 running backs. Maybe.
But the Bills have Gore, and Yeldon, and they drafted Devin Singletary in the third round. A story in The Athletic says Singletary has been getting plenty of first-team reps. All of those guys are cheaper than McCoy, and some of them might simply be better than him at this point.
Maybe McCoy has lost a step, or maybe the line he's been running behind isn't good enough; maybe a little of both. But no getting around the over the last two years, no running back has lost yardage on a higher percentage of his carries than McCoy. If the Bills determine that Gore, or perhaps the solidly built Singletary (5-7, 203), would be less likely to have that many negative plays, they'll move on.
| RUNNING BACK STUFFS, 2017-2018 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Att | Lost | Pct |
| LeSean McCoy | 448 | 79 | 17.6% |
| Tevin Coleman | 323 | 52 | 16.1% |
| Adrian Peterson | 407 | 65 | 16.0% |
| Jay Ajayi | 253 | 40 | 15.8% |
| Kenyan Drake | 253 | 39 | 15.4% |
| LeGarrette Blount | 327 | 47 | 14.4% |
| Joe Mixon | 415 | 59 | 14.2% |
| Dion Lewis | 335 | 47 | 14.0% |
| Alfred Morris | 226 | 30 | 13.3% |
| Alex Collins | 326 | 43 | 13.2% |
| Saquon Barkley | 261 | 34 | 13.0% |
| Jordan Howard | 526 | 68 | 12.9% |
| Bilal Powell | 258 | 32 | 12.4% |
| Carlos Hyde | 412 | 51 | 12.4% |
| Leonard Fournette | 401 | 48 | 12.0% |
| Dalvin Cook | 207 | 24 | 11.6% |
| Jonathan Stewart | 204 | 23 | 11.3% |
| Derrick Henry | 391 | 44 | 11.3% |
| Matt Breida | 258 | 29 | 11.2% |
| Lamar Miller | 448 | 50 | 11.2% |
| Marlon Mack | 288 | 32 | 11.1% |
| Melvin Gordon | 459 | 50 | 10.9% |
| Isaiah Crowell | 349 | 37 | 10.6% |
| Todd Gurley | 535 | 56 | 10.5% |
| Alfred Blue | 221 | 22 | 10.0% |
| Latavius Murray | 356 | 35 | 9.8% |
| Marshawn Lynch | 297 | 29 | 9.8% |
| Kareem Hunt | 453 | 44 | 9.7% |
| Doug Martin | 310 | 30 | 9.7% |
| Peyton Barber | 342 | 33 | 9.6% |
| James Conner | 247 | 22 | 8.9% |
| Aaron Jones | 214 | 19 | 8.9% |
| Chris Ivory | 227 | 20 | 8.8% |
| Ezekiel Elliott | 546 | 48 | 8.8% |
| Frank Gore | 417 | 36 | 8.6% |
| LeVeon Bell | 321 | 27 | 8.4% |
| C.J. Anderson | 312 | 26 | 8.3% |
| Cam Newton | 240 | 20 | 8.3% |
| Devonta Freeman | 210 | 17 | 8.1% |
| David Johnson | 269 | 21 | 7.8% |
| Christian McCaffrey | 336 | 26 | 7.7% |
| Alvin Kamara | 314 | 22 | 7.0% |
| Jamaal Williams | 274 | 18 | 6.6% |
| Chris Carson | 296 | 19 | 6.4% |
| Sony Michel | 209 | 12 | 5.7% |
| Mark Ingram | 368 | 18 | 4.9% |
Table shows all backs with at least 200 attempts over the last two seasons. Now, Buffalo sunk some resources into its line in the offseason. They'll have three new starters, including center Mitch Morse from Kansas City (although he's reportedly been sitting out due to a concussion; have to keep an eye on that one, especially since there's a history there). Obviously they recognize the line was an issue and are hoping they'll be better there.
But McCoy's optimism about being the guy is hard to subscribe to. If they like what Singletary shows them enough in the preseason, McCoy could find himself in a crowded committee (as we currently have him slotted) or off the roster entirely.
--Andy Richardson