Running with the market

A few days ago Adam Schefter broke the news that LeSean McCoy, running back for the Philadelphia Eagles, was to be traded in a straight up player swap for the Buffalo Bills Linebacker, Kiko Alonso. This news immediately sent the football community into a tizzy, and it has not shown any signs of slowing down. Beyond the fact that McCoy is one of the most productive backs in the NFL, or Alonso missed all of the 2014 season with a torn anterior crucial ligament (ACL), there has not been a trade like this since Clinton Portis was swapped with Champ Bailey 11 years before. The two people at the forefront of this blockbuster trade are the two men calling the shots for their respective teams. Rex Ryan wanted to instill a run first approach in his first season as the Bills head coach by snagging one of the better running backs in the league . Then there is Chip Kelly, who upon entering his third year as head coach, added a ninth former Oregon Duck to his roster, all of whom were recruited and played for Kelly while he was the head coach for the Ducks. There is more to this trade than just personnel (the eagles save about 9 million in cap space due to this move). Apparently the eagles star back did not always see eye to eye with his coach and that led to a strained relation ship at times. This offseason is shaping up to be one of the most interesting to happen in the past few years, and it has not even officially started yet.