Philadelphia Eagles: Will LeSean McCoy Get a New Contract?

LeSean McCoy has been absolutely stunning in 2011 for the Philadelphia Eagles. The 23-year-old running back dominated the field and rushed for 1,309 yards, finishing in the second place for total rushing yards, behind Maurice Jones-Drew.

McCoy played 15 games and had an average of 87.3 rushing yards per game. The most impressive stat, though, was his scoring total of 20 touchdowns (17 rushing TDs, 3 receiving TDs). McCoy broke the Eagles’ single-season touchdown and rushing touchdown records, previously held by Steve Van Buren and set in 1945.

With 33 touchdowns scored in his first three years with the Eagles, McCoy has established himself as an indispensable team player. The Eagles couldn’t have gotten themselves a better back to be Brian Westbrook’s successor.

McCoy will enter his fourth and final year of his rookie contract in 2012, and his future is already a point of concern for the "Birds." Obviously, the team wants to tie the distinguished running back for the long term; however, it remains a mystery if this will happen before the start of the new season.

Considering the fact that McCoy is among the league’s best players, his contract renewal won’t come cheap. The Eagles will have to free up some cap space in order to offer a multimillion dollar contract, so they might choose to deal with this later in the year.

In spite of his impressive numbers, is McCoy worthy of a lucrative contract?

Ron Burke doubts whether McCoy is worth a big part of the team’s payroll because of the decreasing value of the running back position.

I strongly believe that he is. Lately, the NFL has become more of a pass-happy league; nonetheless, the elite running backs will always be more than well-paid. Additionally, McCoy contributes to Philadelphia’s passing game with his ball-catching ability and his steady hands.

Furthermore, the Eagles do not have Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady or Drew Brees throwing at their receivers. Michael Vick has proved his worth, but his playing style differs from that of the aforementioned quarterbacks. Therefore, McCoy is more valuable for the Eagles than most running backs are for their teams.