Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Missed out getting LeSean McCoy?

The NFL world was sent in a frenzy when it was announced that a massive trade is in place between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Buffalo Bills. Philadelphia’s star running back LeSean “Shady” McCoy will be traded to Buffalo in exchange for Bills’ third year linebacker Kiko Alonso. Blockbuster trades such as this are rare in the NFL, and as a result, these huge deals send ripple effects throughout the entire league. That being said, did the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just miss out on a golden opportunity to upgrade their roster?

Oct 5, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin (22) runs as New Orleans Saints strong safety Kenny Vaccaro (32) pursues during the first quarter of a game at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished 29th in the league in rushing last year with an abysmal 1,375 yards. The team’s leading rusher was Doug Martin who finished the year with a disappointing 494 yards while now ex-Buccaneers quarterback Josh McCown led the team with three rushing touchdowns.

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While a poor offensive line had much to do with Tampa Bay’s pathetic production on the ground last year, major help at running back is desperately needed as well. Considering that Kiko Alonso was all it took to pry McCoy, the Eagles all-time leading rusher, away from Philadelphia, it is pretty amazing that Tampa Bay or any other team for that matter couldn’t put a more attractive package together for the Eagles. After all, McCoy is only 26 years of age.

Granted, there are plenty of variables that one needs to consider before piling on against the Buccaneers for not making a play for McCoy. In my opinion, this trade took the entire league by surprise as nobody in their right mind would have believed that a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All Pro like McCoy could be on the trading block to begin with. McCoy was the NFL’s leading rusher in 2013 with 1,607 yards and followed it up with a very good season in 2014, totaling 1,319 yards on the ground.

Dec 22, 2013; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills middle linebacker Kiko Alonso (50) against the Miami Dolphins at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Buffalo beats Miami 19 to 0. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

The next key component was the fact that Alonso was a former Oregon Duck who played for Eagles’ head coach Chip Kelly in college. While Alonso did not play in Buffalo last year due to a torn ACL, Kelly is certainly familiar with the attributes Alonso brings to the table. Kelly is known for implementing a fast-break style of offense which can also take a toll on his own defensive players since they will be on the field longer than usual.

Being that Alonso is well versed in handling this type of situation, it looks as though Alonso will be a perfect fit for Philadelphia’s system if healthy. Alonso being a perfect fit for Philadelphia’s defensive scheme is something that may have acted as a trump card over anything the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could have offered in a trade proposal.

The next factor to consider is the salary cap. According to ESPN.com, McCoy’s cap number for 2015 is $11.95 million. And according to Spotrac.com, the Bucs have roughly $29.5 million available in cap space to work with this year. Given that the Buccaneers still have to account for the NFL draft, it may have been a tight squeeze to sign all of their incoming rookies while still pulling off a move for McCoy.

Could the Tampa Bay Buccaneers target running back Mark Ingram in free agency? Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Fitting McCoy under Tampa Bay’s cap structure may have been especially problematic considering that the Bucs have the number-one selection and will more than likely draft a very expensive quarterback. In addition, the Buccaneers still may be targeting cheaper running back options like Reggie Bush, Justin Forsett, and Mark Ingram in free agency.

Lastly, Doug Martin was a first round pick in 2012, so the Bucs may not be willing to give up on him just yet. I’m sure that Tampa Bay would also like to see what last year’s third-rounder Charles Sims can do if healthy for an entire season.

All in all, I don’t think that McCoy was a gigantic missed opportunity for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers so long as they did their homework and exhausted every option.

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