LeSean McCoy Remembering his Buffalo Days

[ThurmanThomasEnglishMuffin]

I was living in PA during the Andy Reid, McNabb/Vick, McCoy and Desean Jackson days. A lot of fun to watch.

He was one of the best complete backs in the game his first 5 or 6 years.

 

McCoy and I ended up 'moving' to Western NY about the same time. He lived and died Eagle green, because he grew up in Harrisburg, PA and an Eagles fan.

I know he was not happy to be dealt from Philadelphia, but thought he really bought into a team that didn't have much going for it.

 

I'm pretty sure he gave us everything he had and laid low most of the time he was here. It's nice to see league wide known names giving Buffalo a thumbs up in retrospect.

[Seasons1992]

1 hour ago, Kwai San said:

 

I was gonna say the same!  Oh well - there is one in every crowd......

 

By one, you mean "LOTS ON THIS BOARD."

 

Fixed.

[thenorthremembers]

I am not sure how anyone can be upset with his time here.  His second season here was one of the best seasons by a Bills' runningback all time, and he was in the Pro Bowl three of the four years.   Maybe one of the more talented players the Bills have ever had on their roster.   I recall watching him and thinking, oh thats what a Super Star looks like.  We've had very few of those.

[BuffaloBillyG]

Would have loved to see Shady from 4-5 years ago in last years offense. Would have been insane. Having guys like Shady, Kyle Williams and Lorax buy into McD's process early set the table for the vibe we see today. 

[Apocalypse Nuts]

3 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

Actually,  the Bills bought into getting Shady to buy into Buffalo.

 

Tearing up his existing Philadelphia deal and adding like $25M in guaranteed money.

 

And then...........in a move I've never seen before or since..........McBeane gave him a $2M bonus in the summer of 2017 to buy his loyalty.

 

In return Buffalo got a disappointing first season...........an excellent season in an offense that inflated rushing stats...........and then a well below league average ypc performance in 2017.    Not even going to go into 2018.     

 

So they paid an average of well over $10M per year for one exceptional season.

 

One can't criticize Whaley and his handling of the salary cap and say that McCoy was a good acquisition without being utterly hypocritical.

 

You and Niagara Bill must be best buds.  One can certainly criticize Whaley regardless of McCoy, IMO.  I don't even know how you can say that with a straight face.  One acquisition does not wipe away years of mismanagement.  Whaley even said after he left that if he had the chance to do it over again he would have made getting a franchise quarterback a priority.  So in hindsight he's learned this?  Just one example.  So yeah, Shady or no Shady, Whaley still sucked at cap management and everything else.

 

Yeah, I'm sure they paid Shady some good coin but that's what was required to get any big name player to Buffalo in those days.  Or do you not remember how bad all those teams really were? 

Edited June 18, 2021 by Apocalypse Nuts

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

3 hours ago, Niagara Bill said:

McCoy is a footnote. Huge paycheck, minor irritations, 1 trick pony running style, ineffective blocker, on the way down. 

Not even as effective as Riddick, Davis, Lynch, McGahee, Spiller, Gore, Henry in his time here. 

A total waste of money which should gave been spent on important positions. 

IMHO.🤔

 

Upset the Yankees swept your Jays in yankee country?

[Jerome007]

The combo of Incognito and Shady was MONEY for the Bills. I don't play "what if" games often but imagine these 2 at their peak playing with Josh and the current offense!

 

Shady seemed to be a great teammate as well. On the field he was fun to watch. The Bills during the drought have had amazing RBs! Amost weird.

[pennstate10]

4 hours ago, Niagara Bill said:

McCoy is a footnote. Huge paycheck, minor irritations, 1 trick pony running style, ineffective blocker, on the way down. 

Not even as effective as Riddick, Davis, Lynch, McGahee, Spiller, Gore, Henry in his time here. 

A total waste of money which should gave been spent on important positions. 

IMHO.🤔

 

McCoy was the only RB in recent history to carry the ball “like a loaf of bread”. I think Bills coaches probably told him they didnt

like it, but as long as he didn’t fumble they’d look the other way

[MJS]

4 hours ago, Niagara Bill said:

McCoy is a footnote. Huge paycheck, minor irritations, 1 trick pony running style, ineffective blocker, on the way down. 

Not even as effective as Riddick, Davis, Lynch, McGahee, Spiller, Gore, Henry in his time here. 

A total waste of money which should gave been spent on important positions. 

IMHO.🤔

 

Uh, what? He had some great years with the Bills.

 

2017: 1,138 rushing yards, 448 receiving yards, 8 TD's.

 

2016: 1,267 rushing yards, 356 receiving yards, 14 TD's.

 

3 pro bowls with the Bills.

 

We traded Kiko Alonso for him, who then bounced around the league.

 

It was a slam dunk trade and McCoy was basically the only talent the team had for a couple of years before McDermott and Beane rebuilt things.

2 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

Actually,  the Bills bought into getting Shady to buy into Buffalo.

 

Tearing up his existing Philadelphia deal and adding like $25M in guaranteed money.

 

And then...........in a move I've never seen before or since..........McBeane gave him a $2M bonus in the summer of 2017 to buy his loyalty.

 

In return Buffalo got a disappointing first season...........an excellent season in an offense that inflated rushing stats...........and then a well below league average ypc performance in 2017.    Not even going to go into 2018.     

 

So they paid an average of well over $10M per year for one exceptional season.

 

One can't criticize Whaley and his handling of the salary cap and say that McCoy was a good acquisition without being utterly hypocritical.

And why am I not surprised? You crap on everything the Bills do.

[Kwai San]

8 minutes ago, MJS said:

Uh, what? He had some great years with the Bills.

 

2017: 1,138 rushing yards, 448 receiving yards, 8 TD's.

 

2016: 1,267 rushing yards, 356 receiving yards, 14 TD's.

 

3 pro bowls with the Bills.

 

We traded Kiko Alonso for him, who then bounced around the league.

 

It was a slam dunk trade and McCoy was basically the only talent the team had for a couple of years before McDermott and Beane rebuilt things.

 

Try as you might some people only see the glass half full not remembering it was full before they put it back down.  Nothing makes their miserable existence any better.....sad really.

[BillsShredder83]

Anybody else find it hard to believe he played with EJ? There are a few others on that list I was certain were gone by the time he got here. The man was elite for a few years, and the snow game against Indy is one of my fav Bills memories ever

[Stank_Nasty]

1 hour ago, MJS said:

.

And why am I not surprised? You crap on everything the Bills do.

[Chandler#81]

5 hours ago, prissythecat said:

 

I can’t believe the lack of respect on this board for Shady.

In this instance, you have to consider the source..🤦‍♂️

[Buffalo716]

5 hours ago, H2o said:

Of course I was in the bills store during half right when he came out and popped that off!

2 hours ago, BillsShredder83 said:

Anybody else find it hard to believe he played with EJ? There are a few others on that list I was certain were gone by the time he got here. The man was elite for a few years, and the snow game against Indy is one of my fav Bills memories ever

EJ was never really his starter tho.. it was TT

[Rock'em Sock'em]

5 hours ago, H2o said:

That's not McCoy.  I read it here that McCoy was less effective than Gore.

[Utah John]

Shady's departure was handled very well by the Bills.  They showed him great respect by cutting him and letting him go to a team that could use him effectively, at a lower cost than his contract with us called for, because he just wasn't as good as he had been by that time.  The alternative was to trade him for a bag of old footballs, because no other team was going to give up much for him at his contract price.  Trading Shady for a seventh or something similar would have stained his reputation.

 

The players around the league see how different teams treat their players.  The Bills knew they couldn't afford to pay Jordan Phillips after his big year in Buffalo, and they let him and Shaq Lawson go sign big contracts elsewhere.  Both of them probably love the cash they're getting but also wish they were still playing here.

 

It's a big deal to NFL players to know a team will treat them with respect.  I can't think of any Bills player in the last few years where contract or injury concerns left a bad taste in their mouths.  Every cut they've ever made was an obviously reasonable move -- John Brown comes to mind.  Everyone knew he wasn't playing to the value of his current contract.  The Bills released him and he moved on where he wanted to go.  

 

What goes around comes around.  Buffalo is now viewed as a desirable place for FAs.  Cutting Shady was an investment in reputation for the team.  It's paying off.

[John from Riverside]

4 hours ago, ALLEN1QB said:

I remember his days in Buffalo also running to the sideline on every play for zero yards. 

It really is that time of year on this board

[TBBills]

9 hours ago, H2o said:

I need to YouTube that to hear the crowd.

[Saxum]

11 hours ago, Apocalypse Nuts said:

Shady is a really good dude and was a great teammate when he was in B’lo.  He still had some juice the first couple of years and was so fun to watch.  He got traded to what was then football Siberia but he truly made the most of it and was a consummate professional.  Mad respect for Shady most definitely.

 

Biggest impact I saw from Shady professional was how when Robert Foster was struggling he took him under his wing and taught him how to be a professional.  It is not on him that once he was let go that Foster did not continue that path.

[Niagara Bill]

13 hours ago, Gugny said:

 

Ok seriously, what did this guy do that Lynch, Riddick, Davis didn't do as well or better. Shady had a rep coming here, he was good but not transcending. Maybe won 3 games we would have lost with another back. Take him out and replace with many if the names I suggested....same or better outcome. 

He was a cult hero when we needed hope...but seriously,  was he that good.