Section 215
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LeSean McCoy Rumors: Timeline of Eagles Trade of ‘Shady’

By Tim Kelly

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Due to an $11.95 million cap-hit for 2015 and the Philadelphia Eagles reported interest in trading up for Oregon Quarterback Marcus Mariota in the draft, the idea of releasing or trading LeSean McCoy this off-season became a hot-button issue. This evening, McCoy was traded to the Bills in a blockbuster deal. Here’s a timeline of McCoy’s exit from Philadelphia.

December 28th, 2014–LeSean McCoy admits to uncertain future with the Philadelphia Eagles

After the Eagles finished the season with a win over the division-rival New York Giants, McCoy admitted that he wasn’t sure he would be back with the Eagles in 2015, when talking to a group of reporters that included Sheil Kapadia of Birds 24/7.

"“I don’t know how they think,” McCoy said. “I just know that as a player, they know what I can do, what I’m willing to do. They know what type of production I’m gonna bring, so we’ll see. I really can’t control it. I can’t. [Drew] Rosenhaus can’t. The only thing I just think is honesty, that’s all. It’s hard to get in this business, but just honesty. We’ve got great people upstairs, from Howie [Roseman] to Coach Kelly and Mr. [Jeffrey] Lurie for sure. So I’m just waiting to see how it plays out. I’d be lying if I said it never flashed in my mind cause it happened to Jacc [DeSean Jackson] off his best year, so you never know. But then he went somewhere and got paid.”"

McCoy also vaguely discussed the idea of restructuring his deal, seeming open to the idea, but not saying anything definitive.

January 25th, 2015–LeSean McCoy is ‘a fan’ of Marcus Mariota

On an NFL Network appearance, McCoy spoke highly of Oregon Heisman Trophy-Winning Quarterback Marcus Mariota, while being sure to say that he wasn’t sure that Mariota necessarily was a fit in Philadelphia. This interview served as an interesting precursor for the off-season as a whole.

January 29th, 2015–Chip Kelly Doesn’t Meet With LeSean McCoy to Talk About a Paycut

After originally reporting that Chip Kelly and LeSean McCoy would dine in the lead-up to the Superbowl, presumably to talk about a potential contract restructure or paycut, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the two never met.

Sep 15, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy (25) is tackled by Indianapolis Colts cornerback Darius Butler (20) at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

February 28th, 2015–Could LeSean McCoy’s Unwillingness to Take a Pay-Cut End Tenure in Philly?

Following a report from Philly.com’s Paul Domowitch that suggested that LeSean McCoy would be asked to take a pay-cut, our Somers Price wondered if McCoy dug his heels in if it would lead to his eventual release from the Eagles.

March 1st, 2015–Releasing Darren Sproles Makes More Sense Than Releasing LeSean McCoy

I wrote a piece suggesting that if the Eagles needed to clear up a small amount of cap-space to potentially avoid having to release McCoy, it made sense to consider the idea of releasing Darren Sproles. At the very least, it seemed to make more sense than releasing McCoy.

March 2nd, 2015–Report: Eagles/Bucs Both Denied Rumors of ‘Imminent’ Blockbuster

After a week of connected Eagles reporters hinting at the team making a move for a pick that would allow them to select Marcus Mariota, ESPN’s Pat Yasinskas said the reported rumors, involving McCoy, were not true.

"Until my phone started ringing Friday. Two different members of the Philadelphia media called me to say they were hearing rumblings that a trade was imminent. These are trusted media members and the content of both calls contained the same details.The Eagles were about to trade quarterback Nick Foles, running back LeSean McCoy and three first-round draft picks to the Bucs for the No. 1 pick in the draft. It sounded believable.So I called someone within the Tampa Bay organization that would know if something was cooking. He said the rumor was untrue. Meantime, my friends in the Philadelphia media poked around some more with their Eagles’ sources. They got the same response I did. No trade was imminent and no one would say if there even have been any talks between the two teams."

March 2nd, 2015–Eagles Won’t Release, Could Trade LeSean McCoy

NJ.com’s Mark Eckel, citing one of his league sources, reported that Chip Kelly would not release LeSean McCoy, but viewed him as a piece that the Eagles could use to move up in an effort to obtain a pick that they could select Marcus Mariota with.

March 2nd, 2015–Eagles Haven’t Asked LeSean McCoy to Take a Pay-Cut

Despite speculation the team would do so, McCoy’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio that the Eagles hadn’t approached McCoy about potentially taking a pay-cut.

March 3rd, 2015–Eagles Trade LeSean McCoy to the Bills for Linebacker Kiko Alonso

The Eagles have traded LeSean McCoy to the Bills. Read full details here, including how it changes the Eagles moving forward.

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