Report: Eagles to trade LeSean McCoy to Bills for Kiko Alonso
It appears a blockbuster trade will soon become official.
The Philadelphia Eagles are planning to trade running back LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills for linebacker Kiko Alonso, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
The deal, which Schefter noted will be official next week, is player for player with no picks involved, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Related: What the LeSean McCoy trade means for the Bills, Eagles
The Eagles will get a linebacker who should immediately help their defense. Alonso missed all of 2014 with a torn ACL, but when healthy as a rookie he proved to be an up-and-coming star, finishing second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. He'll be reunited with Chip Kelly, his coach at the University of Oregon.
Kiko Alonso will become the 9th Oregon Duck on the Eagles roster. All 9 played under Chip Kelly at some point during his time at Oregon
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 4, 2015
If he warms to the idea of heading to Buffalo, McCoy should fill the void that C.J. Spiller will likely leave. Spiller appears to be leaving via free agency, and without a legitimate starting quarterback at their disposal, the Bills will have to lean on the running game.
New Bills head coach Rex Ryan loved to run the football when he was with the New York Jets, and with McCoy on board things should be no different. The 26-year-old ran for more than 1,300 yards last season and more than 1,600 in 2013.
That was in Kelly's offense, though, and things don't figure to be as friendly in Buffalo. Kelly has now parted ways with DeSean Jackson and McCoy, perhaps believing his system can get production out of less expensive players.
Making the move will save the Eagles plenty of money. McCoy is due $10.2 million in 2015, $6.9 million in 2016 and $7.6 million in 2017.