LeSean McCoy: Trying to Make Sense of Eagles' Stunning Trade

No matter how many ways you look at it, the Philadelphia Eagles’ decision to trade All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy is shocking.

Sure, there are logical reasons for the trade, which was reported by ESPN.com's Adam Schefter and Mike Rodak.

While a lot of the outcry at McCoy’s trade is due to his age, a 26-year-old running back is not all that young. McCoy likely only has three more seasons of dominance left.

Kiko Alonso may not be a household name due to having played in Buffalo for two years (or one year, thanks to a torn ACL in 2014). But as a 24-year-old linebacker, he can be expected to have as many as 10 more seasons of dominance.

Surely, trading three years for 10 is fair, right?

McCoy is also coming off one of his least efficient seasons. In 2014, he faced questions as to whether he was the same dominant running back he was in 2011 and 2013.

Defenders appeared to have caught on to his tendencies, anticipating his signature jump cut. McCoy was ranked by Pro Football Focus as the 15th-most elusive back out of 18 eligible running backs, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer's Mike Sielski. If the Eagles believe he is declining, it makes sense to trade him while his value is high.

Another aspect is that the running back position seems to be less and less important to the success of a team with each new season.

Teams like the Patriots have had success without dominant running backs, and the Broncos have changed running backs every season the past three years without losing any efficiency. A good quarterback and a good offensive line would appear to be the most important aspect of a modern NFL offense.

All that may be true. Nevertheless, the trade is still baffling.

As seen by the shock (and outrage) at everyone around the NFL, from fans to players, McCoy still holds a reputation as one of the league’s finest players. He has drawn comparisons to Barry Sanders throughout his career and is a potential Hall of Fame player.

It seems unlikely that the best the Eagles could manage was a straight-up McCoy-Alonso swap. One of the household names of the NFL still in his prime would surely would have demanded at least a first-round pick.

Make no mistake about it: Alonso is a dominant linebacker. If he can return from his ACL tear, he will be a franchise player on defense, a player the Eagles have desperately lacked since the departure of Brian Dawkins.

But that is a huge "if." It is likely the reason why the Bills were willing to part with their superstar in the first place.

No matter how many reports state how well Alonso’s ACL rehabilitation is going, there is no way to know he has returned to his Rookie of the Year form until he returns to the field. Robert Griffin III was also reported to be having a "superhuman" recovery from his torn-ACL, as Dr. James Andrews told ESPN.com's Stephania Bell, but was never the same player again.

Furthermore, inside linebacker was not even one of the Eagles’ most urgent needs. Had this been a trade for Seahawks safety Earl Thomas, fans may have been more forgiving. But the Eagles are not devoid of playmakers at inside linebacker with Mychal Kendricks and DeMeco Ryans.

Even if we consider all the benefits of the trade, the Eagles are trading a proven, dominant player for a player who may not be who he once was, at a position that was not even a top roster need. The value does not feel even.

Trading McCoy frees up around $12 million in cap space, according to Over the Cap. But even if the Eagles make several big moves that will help the roster, such as acquiring Byron Maxwell, Devin McCourty or DeMarco Murray, what will always come back to haunt them is that they may not have gotten everything they could have for their franchise player.

Chip Kelly has now parted with two faces of his franchise in two years: DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy. Any favor he had won with fans for a surprising 10-6 finish in 2012 has quickly evaporated.

The spotlight is now squarely on him. Nothing short of postseason success will regain that favor.

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