The Buffalo Bills formally introduced their newest acquisition LeSean McCoy in a press conference on Tuesday afternoon. The running back didn’t waste any time declaring how happy he was to be on the Bills roster.
“It feels good to be appreciated,” said McCoy. “Since I heard about the trade, the Bills organization has been great. It’s been excellent. They’ve accepted me and my family with open arms, embracing us. It’s been excellent, so far. The people here are so nice. I can’t wait to get to work. I can’t wait to see my teammates and work hard with them to get that goal and that’s to get a championship.”
Last week, McCoy was traded from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for linebacker Kiko Alonso. Prior to being traded McCoy had played his entire six-year career with the Philadelphia Eagles.
“I had been in Philadelphia my whole life, “said McCoy. “For the six years, it was great. But, once I sat down and relaxed, I talked to my family and I felt it was the best move. I felt like a team actually wanted me. It was possible to make this trade go through.”
A few days after the trade, the Bills and McCoy agreed on a new five-year, $40 million contract, which includes a $26.5 million signing bonus.
“I feared if I stayed in Philadelphia, I would have had a situation with the contract another time,” said McCoy. “With the Bills, they worked everything out so the only thing I have to do is come here, play football, and do something that I’ve been doing since I was a little boy. And, I think it’s a blessing.”
McCoy statistics took a bit of a step back last season as he carried the ball 312 times for 1,319 yards and five touchdowns. In 2014, he rushed for 1,607 yards, nine touchdowns on 314 carries. Despite the slight drop-off, McCoy believes he had a good season in 2014.
“I played well for the opportunities that I was granted,” stated McCoy. “A lot has changed since the first year that I got there. When Chip (Kelly) got there, my role has changed a little bit which people really won’t know.”
With Rex Ryan as the Bills new head coach, McCoy’s role will be a lot different than it was with the Eagles. No matter what role Ryan and offensive coordinator Greg Roman have for McCoy, he says he will be ready to help the Bills return to the playoffs for the first time since the 1999 season.
“I’m sure in the back of their mind they have a great role and scheme ready for me, said McCoy. “My play speaks for itself. I can do it all from blocking, running, catching, and they know that. So, I’m sure they have some plan for me. But, whatever it is, I’ll do. I feel like the team we have here is close. I looked at a lot of stats, even games I watched last year, they were close.”
