Houston Texans: Is LeSean McCoy A Perfect Fit?

Rumors of LeSean McCoy’s time with the Buffalo Bills ending have been kicked around for a couple of seasons now. It was only a matter of time before the former league leader was cut/traded if the rumors of him not fitting in to Sean McDermott’s offense were true. If this were the case, the only reason he stuck around in Buffalo was his hefty contract and heavy fan base for one of the top running backs in the league. Between his style of running and his inability to stay healthy, especially now that he’s on the wrong side of 30, lead the Bills to finally pull the trigger with the stable of running backs currently on the roster.

Luckily for McCoy, there’s at least one team in desperate need of a running back. Outside of the now injured Lamar Miller, the Houston Texans haven’t had a consistent running back to supplant even Miller as the full time running back. They’ve often rolled out a stable of backups but none have been consistent enough to challenge his full-time workload. In a desperate bind, the Texans were hoping to land a running back via a trade involving Jadeveon Clowney. Now that Clowney has found a new home in Seattle, the Texans are back to the drawing board.

Insert LeSean McCoy.

With the 31-year old running back is often slowed by the occasional injury, he still has been a viable option. His stats might have diminished but he’s no worse than any current Houston Texan. Last season, Alfred Blue was the second-best option rushing 16 yards less than McCoy and 78 yards less receiving despite playing two more games than McCoy. Blue has since moved on to the Jacksonville Jaguars, leaving newly acquired Duke Johnson the lone productive back. Johnson only rushed for 200+ yards in a deep running back unit in Cleveland but was active in the passing game with 426 yards. None of those stats scream starting running back however.

The Houston Texans are desperate for a productive running back and should be on the phone as we speak. If LeSean McCoy can come in and be a decent split carry back with Duke Johnson, Texans fans have one less thing to worry about. As it stands, if Houston can’t land a productive back, this year’s headache for Deshaun Watson just got a little bigger. As a quarterback who can take off with the football, his ability to throw downfield helps tremendously. Without a solid run game, the defense can sit on receivers and wait for him to tuck and run. While it sounds like a good plan with his speed, he won’t be able to take hit after hit and stay healthy all 16 games.

With limited options, the Texans should see if LeSean McCoy comes at a bargain price, even if it is just for a season or two until Lamar Miller is healthy again.