Philadelphia Eagles: 5 Ways Chip Kelly Can Replace LeSean McCoy in 2015

In arguably the most shocking move in Philadelphia since the release of DeSean Jackson, multiple sources confirm that the Eagles will trade three-time Pro Bowl running back LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills.

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Filed to ESPN: Bills have notified LB Kiko Alonso he is going to be traded to Philadelphia for RB LeSean McCoy. Trade official next week.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 3, 2015"

In return, head coach Chip Kelly will be reunited with his former playmaking Oregon linebacker, Kiko Alonso.

This move will create a significant amount of money for the Eagles, giving the organization plenty of available cap space should they want to sign quality free agents.

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By cutting Trent Cole, Cary Williams & trading LeSean McCoy, Eagles cleared $31.75M in cap space today. Alonso will count >$1M against cap

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) March 4, 2015"

It’s expected that Alonso will take the inside linebacker spot next to Mychal Kendricks—making veteran DeMeco Ryans a likely cap casualty—but what about the running game? How will Kelly replace a player who is the NFL’s leading rusher over the last five seasons?

It’s not the first time Kelly jettisoned a star player coming off a fantastic season. Last year, the Eagles famously released DeSean Jackson and then saw Jeremy Maclin roughly duplicate Jackson's numbers in 2014. This time, Kelly was able to work out a trade, but that leaves just Darren Sproles, Matthew Tucker and Kenjon Barner on the active roster (Chris Polk is a restricted free agent).

It won’t be easy for Kelly to replace McCoy’s production in ’15. Even in a down season, McCoy still rushed for 1,319 yards and five touchdowns. He’s accumulated over 2,900 rushing yards over the last two years, suiting up for all 32 contests during that span. He’s still just 26 years old and has very little injury history at the NFL level.

Will Kelly go with a running back by committee approach next season? Will he opt to sign a big-name free agent? Here are the most logical possibilities for who will handle the Eagles’ rushing attempts in 2015.

C.J. Spiller, Free Agent

C.J. Spiller is a logical fit to take LeSean McCoy’s spot in Philadelphia. A former Pro Bowl player in Buffalo, Spiller’s production stalled in 2014 as he dealt with injuries. He averaged just 3.8 yards per carry and failed to score a rushing touchdown.

Spiller, a current free agent, is on record as saying he doesn’t want to return to Buffalo.

Spiller has loads of talent and an impressive 5.0 yards-per-carry average over five NFL seasons, including a 2012 campaign that saw Spiller become just the fifth running back in league history to average 6.0 yards per rush on at least 200 attempts.

Spiller is electric in space when used correctly, and he would have to be thrilled with the idea of playing in a Philadelphia offense that has set the franchise record in points scored each of the last two seasons. Given the way he dropped off in 2014, Spiller could probably be signed on a fairly cheap deal.

Melvin Gordon or Todd Gurley

It’s likely that Chip Kelly will do everything possible to acquire Marcus Mariota in this year’s NFL draft. But say he isn’t able to work out a deal and the Philadelphia Eagles pick at the 20th spot.

Kelly has to be extremely intrigued by the idea of taking either Melvin Gordon or Todd Gurley, each of whom is a first-round talent.

Gordon had unbelievable production in 2014, rushing for 2,587 yards, including 17 carries that went for 40 or more yards.

Meanwhile, Gurley probably has a higher ceiling if he can bounce back from last year’s ACL injury, and he’s going to be a tackle-breaking machine in the NFL.

Drafting either one of those two would allow Kelly to start fresh with a running back of his choosing. Kelly has always been a fan of running the football, and the Eagles have the offensive line in place to expect either one of those two to be a Pro Bowler from year one with Kelly.

A Mid-Round Draft Pick

This is the most likely scenario for the 2015 Philadelphia Eagles. It’s likely that Chip Kelly works out a trade for Marcus Mariota, which would strip the Eagles of their first-round pick this season. That means Kelly will have to use a second-round or mid-round pick to grab a running back.

Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah may be the best fit for Kelly.

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Would love to see Ameer Abdullah in #Eagles O. Insane lateral quicks & incredibly tough inside runner. Great fb player. Would crush in PHI.

— Evan Silva (@evansilva) March 4, 2015"

Tevin Coleman is an extremely talented player who could thrive in this offense. He rushed for over 2,000 yards last season and catches passes well. A case could be made that he’s the best running back in the draft.

Other good fits include Duke Johnson, David Johnson and Jay Ajayi. Regardless of whom he picks, Kelly will be getting a young, fresh running back who can be the workhorse runner for his offense in 2015 and beyond.

DeMarco Murray, Free Agent

Wouldn’t it be interesting to see Chip Kelly open the checkbook and sign one of the team’s biggest rivals in DeMarco Murray? Murray led the NFL with 1,845 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns in 2014, at one point threatening to eclipse the coveted 2,000-yard mark.

The Dallas Cowboys have made it clear that they’re going to let Murray test the open market, and with what they will pay to Dez Bryant on a one-year, franchise-tag deal, owner Jerry Jones may deem it necessary to let Murray walk.

It doesn’t seem that Murray is Kelly’s type of player; he’s a top-of-the-line free agent, and the Philadelphia Eagles almost always sign mid-level talents.

Murray is less versatile and flashy than McCoy, but he can catch passes and is virtually the same age as McCoy while actually having significantly less mileage (500-plus fewer carries).

Murray has also quietly shed the injury label; after missing nine games in his first two seasons, he’s played 30-of-32 since 2013.

Don’t expect Murray to come to the Eagles, but he’s worth mentioning given his talent as a runner and the amount of available cap space Philadelphia has.

Chris Polk/Darren Sproles/Low-Level Free-Agent Signing

Theoretically, the Philadelphia Eagles could go largely with a duo of Chris Polk and Darren Sproles next year without signing a big-name player or drafting a running back in one of the top rounds. A low-level signing would give the Eagles a running back by committee approach that would truly put to test whether Chip Kelly’s offense is simply plug-and-play.

Polk has thrived when called upon. He’s a bruiser, one who runs with a heavy north-south style, and he was called upon for the goal-line carries last year even with LeSean McCoy on the roster. Polk has seven career rushing touchdowns on just 57 attempts, and he boasts an impressive 4.7 yards-per-carry average. He’s a former undrafted free agent who would have been a top pick in the 2012 draft had it not been for a shoulder injury.

Polk’s biggest problem at the pro level, though, has been injuries; he’s struggled to stay healthy and almost didn’t make the roster last season. He’s likely nothing more than a third back on the depth chart.

Sproles is a 31-year-old multidimensional back who flashed great play whenever he touched the ball in 2014. He saw his carries dwindle as the season went on, but maybe Kelly wants to go largely with a duo of Polk and Sproles.

That doesn’t mean they will be the only two backs on the roster, but there’s always the chance that Kelly goes with Polk, Sproles and a low-level free agent like Steven Jackson, Reggie Bush or Jacquizz Rodgers. Again, that’s doubtful, but depending on how the draft shakes out, Kelly may do that for the time being.