LeSean McCoy Trade: Opens C.J. Spiller Up Guaranteed
By Luke Sims
LeSean McCoy traded to the Buffalo Bills for Kiko Alonso. It’s the news of the day, even if it can’t be made official until Tuesday at 4:00pm EST. It’s a deal that sets up both teams pretty well and showcases the ability of Chip Kelly and company to go after who they want, when they want to.
Most importantly, this deal really opens up Bills running back C.J. Spiller to hit the open market and it essentially removes his current team as suitors. That’s all well and good for the teams that could use a running back.
The Jaguars, said to be in the market for a running back, would be happy to see Spiller become one of the available options to add to their growing stable. While I have a number of other options that the team could go after, Spiller is a tempting player because of his versatility. He’s a shifty, explosive back who can help a team take control of a game whether he’s the featured back or an offensive weapon.
Right now, however, the Jaguars are “sleepers” in the Spiller Sweepstakes, especially as other teams (the Philadelphia Eagles come to mind) provide a stronger fit for the running back. Here’s what writer Evan Massey had to say about the Jags going after Spiller:
"Adding Spiller would be a huge upgrade from Denard Robinson, and if he can stay healthy he would be a terror for opposing defenses. He would receive a huge workload from the get-go, and the Jaguars would finally have a legitimate ground attack.Spiller makes a lot of sense for them, and he would help them both now and in the future. It would be very wise for the Jaguars to look into the possibility and see what type of deal they would have to give up to sign him. Jacksonville may not sound like the most attractive landing spot for Spiller, but they are definitely a team to keep an eye on."
The way I see it right now, the Jags likely aren’t going to pursue Spiller heavily. There are other options who tend to stay healthier and can also provide a change of pace for the Jaguars. Those other options probably won’t force the Jaguars to outbid a slew of other teams, either. That’s valuable time and energy that can be saved and spent toward pursuing players to fill other holes on what is a pretty mottled roster after two years of rebuilding.
It is good to see that Spiller will most certainly come to market, though. The LeSean McCoy trade really locks it up.