It has been less than 24 hours and every football fan already knows that the Philadelphia Eagles traded running back LeSean McCoy last night for Buffalo Bills linebacker Kiko Alonso.
Wow. You just don't see that every day.
Now that the dust has begun to settle just a bit, it's time to answer the question on everyone's mind: who got the better end of this deal?
Rick Drummond of Pro Football Focus believes the Eagles came out on top in this transaction as he gave them an A grade for the deal while the Bills only received a C.
How did he come to that conclusion?
"In as wide a swing as could be made, McCoy leaves an offense that boasted PFF's top-graded run-blocking O-line in 2014 to run behind the group rated last in the league," Drummond wrote.
"An excellent player in space, McCoy's impact will be severely limited by that questionable front line and it'll take more than an impressive comeback by Richie Incognito to get the group in shape."
It's fair to point out Buffalo's shortcomings along the offensive line. But Fred Jackson played decently when healthy behind that same line last season and he does not possess the same raw talent as McCoy. It would be a shock to see McCoy fail to surpass Jackson's 1,026 total yards from 2014. But to Drummond, Philly's defensive upgrade is just too valuable to ignore.
"In bringing Kiko Alonso aboard, the Eagles' D gets younger, cheaper and positions the unit to field a pair of athletic linebackers who have excelled in coverage in recent seasons...," Drummon wrote.
"In another forward-thinking play, Chip Kelly's Eagles could be seizing the opportunity to capitalize on what their tempo-based offense dictates: opponents forced to play at speed and keep up against a Philly defense better equipped to shut off passing lanes. Alonso is surely a better fit with that idea than the incumbent DeMeco Ryans has been, and pairing that with the familiarity factor from his Oregon days, last season's injury is the only reason for pause."
