Connor McIntyre| July 6th, 2019
Dear LeSean McCoy,
When the Buffalo Bills traded for you from the Philadelphia Eagles back in 2015, I was very excited. The Bills didn’t give up much to acquire you, and they almost always have a good backfield and run game. It was a match made in heaven. Your first season with the Bills was a good one, having over 1,000 all-purpose yards in 12 games and making the Pro Bowl. You barely missed a beat going from the Eagles to the Bills and you still looked like a star even when you were hurt. You were a perennial Pro Bowler and consistently had well over 1,000 yards. That was all up until 2018.
Going into 2018, I wasn’t expecting much of a difference in production, maybe a slight decrease due to the fact that you were now on the wrong side of 30, but nothing too extreme. What happened, however, was a steep decline in rushing yards, yards per carry, and touchdowns. Your overall yards were cut nearly in half in the span of one season and you didn’t look like a superstar. You had one 100 yard rushing game against the New York Jets. That one game was the lone flash of your ability from previous seasons. You missed the Pro Bowl for the first time in five years and had the worst season of your career. I was stunned by the lack of production and was surprised when Brandon Beane said that he intended to keep you until the end of your contract.
I still have hope that you will be back to your normal superstar form during this season, but that doesn’t seem likely. The Bills have a loaded backfield, with rookie Devin Singletary, veterans Frank Gore and T. J. Yeldon, and third-down back Marcus Murphy. Not all of them will make the roster, but there’s going to be serious competition. There is also a good chance you get traded before the trade deadline. You are going to have to make the best of every opportunity and avoid as many mistakes as possible. You will likely not get nearly as many carries as you normally do. I don’t doubt your ability to have a successful season, (especially after Adrian Peterson‘s season last year) but it will be very difficult. This is the final year of your current contract, and if you can’t return to your normal playing level, this may be your last year as a Bill. I still have hope that you can be successful and make a Pro Bowl, and so do many Bills fans, so don’t let us down.
Sincerely,
Connor McIntyre
Read Connor’s other Last Day Letters: Dave Gettleman|Baker Mayfield|Jameis Winston
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