LeSean McCoy Comments on How Chip Kelly Treats Star Players

LeSean McCoy was traded away from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Buffalo Bills this offseason in what has been an eventful maiden voyage for Chip Kelly as Philadelphia's personnel chief.    

In addition to being the head coach, Kelly has final say on all roster decisions, and it was a bit of a shock to see McCoy sent out of Philly in exchange for linebacker Kiko Alonso, a former Oregon player under Kelly in college.

McCoy was blunt, sharing his thoughts on Kelly in an extensive feature by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane from Monday. The electric running back first suggested Kelly doesn't value the better players on his roster:

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I don't think he likes or respects the stars. I'm being honest. I think he likes the fact that it's "Chip Kelly and the Eagles." ... It was "DeSean Jackson—a high-flying, take-off-the-top-of-the-defense receiver." Or "the quick, elusive LeSean McCoy." I don't think [Kelly] likes that.

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DeSean Jackson was released by the Eagles prior to the start of the 2014 campaign, despite coming off of a career year in his first taste of Kelly's offensive system. The same was true for Jeremy Maclin this past season, but Kelly let him walk in free agency to reunite with ex-Eagles coach Andy Reid in Kansas City.

Maybe McCoy has a point after all.

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie recently said that McCoy's shifty style of play wasn't in the mold Kelly sought, which is why Philadelphia acquired DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews on the open market this offseason.

Although he holds no grudge against Kelly, and, according to McLane, plans to call his former coach soon, McCoy still felt like he wasn't in the loop prior to being traded:

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I read what [Lurie] said in the media and I agree with it. There's nothing wrong with that. Chip felt like I wasn't a fit for his offense. But why not say that? 

It's hard to say that because if you turn on that tape when that [offense] isn't going I make that [stuff] happen. You see, he can't say that. But I think that's how he felt.

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McCoy led the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns in 2011 under Reid and was the league rushing champion in 2013 when Kelly took the job.

The 26-year-old ball-carrier implied that his success in both offenses and what he gave Philadelphia on the field warranted more transparency when the Eagles were shopping him to Buffalo. When McCoy's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, called him to confirm the trade talks, McCoy was in disbelief.

In addressing some of the moves Kelly made to retool the roster, McCoy didn't deny Murray as a viable piece. However, he did question the offensive nucleus Kelly has assembled as of now, headlined by oft-injured, prospective starting quarterback Sam Bradford:

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Now you've got DeMarco. I think he's a good player. But then you got [quarterback Sam] Bradford. He's in and out, banged up. The main wide receiver is [Riley] Cooper. The tight end is [Brent] Celek...[Kelly] likes it like that. The tension—the this or that—he doesn't like that. He don't like the way you dress.

He's not the bad dude everybody makes him out to be. He's just different. But I don't really have any hate for him. I really don't. In the beginning I did, but I don't. If I see him I'll speak to him, respectfully—"How are you doing, coach? Good luck."

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Perhaps the gaudy salary McCoy carried and the devaluation of the running back position drove Kelly to deal McCoy to the Bills.

That argument doesn't fully add up, though. Philadelphia made a considerable investment in both Murray and Mathews, while McCoy restructured his contract with Buffalo. Murray and McCoy now have nearly identical five-year, $40 million deals ($42 million for Murray), while Mathews is under a three-year, $11.5 million contract.

It's not as if McCoy is in any sort of decline just yet. His average yards per carry dropped from 5.1 to 4.2 from 2013 to last season, but the Eagles had a banged-up offensive line, and McCoy's elusiveness helped manufacture yards most of his peers wouldn't be able to muster.

Whether McCoy is a one-cut runner or not, Bills coach Rex Ryan and offensive coordinator Greg Roman love to run the football, and now they have one of the most talented tailbacks in the league in their offense. In the above video, Bleacher Report analyst Chris Simms suggests McCoy might even be the best in the NFL.

Kelly has had success in his two NFL seasons with anyone he's plugged into the lineup. Whether that continues in 2015 and beyond will depend on how his unconventional moves and dismissal of seemingly valuable skill position players pan out.    

Note: Contract information courtesy of Spotrac.