LeSean McCoy touched the ball fewer times last season than any other in his standout 10-year career. But the factors associated with that reality – age, diminishing effectiveness, and his team's multi-pronged approach in the backfield – didn't stop the Buffalo Bills running back from appealing to another veteran runner to join him in Eastern New York.
Frank Gore signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Bills in March, and was apparently aggressively recruited by McCoy throughout the free-agency process.
“I actually was begging him to come,” McCoy said, per Buffalo's website. “Two years ago we were trying to get Frank and coach (Sean McDermott) asked if I’d like to play with him and I said ‘yeah.'”
McCoy won't just be competing with Gore for carries, catches, and playing time in 2019. The Bills have split first-team reps at running back throughout the offseason among both veterans and rookie third-round pick Devin Singletary, who's impressed thus far with his versatility and ability to grasp the playbook.
A six-time Pro Bowler, McCoy rushed for 514 yards and three touchdowns in 2018, averaging a paltry 3.2 yards per carry – easily a career-low. He also had just 238 receiving yards, the second-lowest total since his rookie year. Gore, 36, continued fighting off Father Time last season, running for 722 yards on 4.6 yards per carry while sharing the Miami Dolphins’ backfield with Kenyan Drake.
While a reduced role is hardly an easy pill for most players to swallow, it speaks to the comfort McCoy has with his current place in the league that he was so keen on Buffalo bringing in Gore. Expect both players, and Singletary, to benefit from one another while splitting time in the backfield this season.
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