LeSean McCoy's Lucrative Contract Not a Huge Issue for Eagles

After an amazing 2013 campaign that included his first rushing title, Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy was voted the fifth-best player in the NFL. One year later, McCoy is being talked about as potential trade bait or even a cap casualty.

No doubt, the Eagles would prefer to avoid paying the entirety of McCoy’s enormous cap hit in 2015, which comes to just south of $12 million, according to Spotrac. And true, the organization could save $7.5 million by dumping the All-Pro back during the offseason, creating a lot of flexibility financially in the process.

Why should they do that, though? When did McCoy go from being not merely one of the best ball-carriers, but one of the best players in the NFL, period—not to mention Philadelphia’s most dangerous offensive weapon—to somebody who could simply be cast away at the first sign of financial burden?

YR	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
2014	312	1,319	4.2	5
2013	314	1,607	5.1	9
2012	200	840	4.2	2
2011	273	1,309	4.8	17
2010	207	1,080	5.2	7
2009	155	637	4.1	4

What’s likely coloring the debate over McCoy’s future is what many viewed as a down year in ’14. True, he wasn’t nearly as electric as he has been in the past, prompting questions over his health and workload. The numbers reflected those struggles, as McCoy carried for just 4.2 yards per carry, nearly a full yard less than the previous season.

Of course, McCoy’s season was still good enough to warrant his third trip to the Pro Bowl, finishing third in the league in rushing with 1,319 yards. He wasn’t a dominant force, yet he is still one of the top backs out there.

Furthermore, not enough of the blame falls on a patchwork offensive line that was decimated by injuries for much of the year. As left guard Evan Mathis and center Jason Kelce were able to come off the shelf—Pro Bowlers in their own right—and right tackle Lane Johnson returned from a four-game suspension, McCoy’s numbers predictably improved.

McCoy averaged 2.8 yards per carry in the month of September. He went on to average 4.7 in October, 4.9 in November and 4.2 in December. It’s no coincidence the improvement correlated with the returns of his teammates.

The demise of McCoy has been greatly exaggerated. 2015 will be his seventh season in the NFL, but he’ll only be 27. And while his carries have eclipsed the 300 mark each of the past two seasons, he has three seasons of 207 or less.

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

In other words, there should be plenty of tread left on the tires.

Sure, $12 million is a huge cap hit for any running back, a position teams don’t often invest big bucks in these days. It would be second only to Adrian Peterson for the Minnesota Vikings in 2015, although Peterson is unlikely to see that money due to his off-field issues.

McCoy doesn’t have concerns on the field or off, but he did make it seem as if he might play hardball with the Eagles if asked to restructure. When asked about the possibility of restructuring his contract to make his cap hit more palatable, McCoy informed Jeff McLane for The Philadelphia Inquirer that less money might not be an option.

"I know how hard it is to keep a team together and I want to be part of this team. But I don't want to take less money," McCoy said. "I want to figure a way to make it happen [where] we're all together."

But restructuring a contract doesn’t necessarily require McCoy to take a pay cut, at least not in the traditional sense. Some of that money can be pushed into future years, perhaps as part of a team-friendly contract extension that would ensure the leading rusher in franchise history could retire with the organization.

PLAYER	TEAM	CAP HIT
Adrian Peterson	MIN	$15.4 M
LeSean McCoy	PHI	$11.95 M
Matt Forte	CHI	$9.2 M
Arian Foster	HOU	$9 M
Marshawn Lynch	SEA	$8.5 M
Jonathan Stewart	CAR	$8.3 M
Jamaal Charles	KC	$8.0 M
DeAngelo Williams	CAR	$6.33 M
Reggie Bush	DET	$5.27 M
Chris Johnson	NYJ	$5.25 M

Or, the Eagles could do nothing and swallow the $12 million cap hit. McCoy’s figure drops to a far more reasonable $8.85 million in ’16, then again to $7.85 million in ’17, the final year of his current deal. Plus, as we previously examined, the Eagles are in excellent shape when it comes to the salary cap, so it’s not like the front office has to act.

As McCoy himself intimated, it would be best for all parties to find a middle ground. McCoy’s play hasn’t slipped despite what some people seem to think, and when Philadelphia’s offense is firing on all cylinders, we’ve seen that he can be one of the most dangerous players in the NFL.

Why the Eagles would panic over a one-year spike in salary—one that surely can be negotiated away if need be—and get rid of their best offensive weapon is beyond me. Sure, they can always get another running back, admittedly for plenty cheaper, but ones as good as McCoy are rare.