LaSean McCoy believes he is the best running back in the NFL and intends on proving that in the upcoming season. He has already predicted he will put down more yards than Adrian Peterson, predicting he will lead the league in 2014. The Philadelphia Eagles running back certainly has the resume to make that happen, but recent offseason additions to the roster might make that goal hard to reach.
The Eagles made a trade in the offseason to acquire New Orleans Saints running back Darren Sproles and the team has big plans for him in this year's offense. Sproles is a dynamic player capable of turning two yards into 20 in a split second when given the chance. Chip Kelly plans on using Sproles in multiple areas considering his positive history with playing a receiver as well. All of that means a better looking offense for Philadelphia, but less time on the field for McCoy.
In front of the cameras, McCoy is saying all of the right things. The running back has nothing but praise for his new teammate as Sproles was originally intended to be his backup when Kelly first made the trade. However, once the head coach saw him on the field, things changed and plans for Sproles got bigger. McCoy can see why.
"Sproles has the quickest feet I've ever seen out of any player," McCoy said, via NFL.com. "He'll help us out tremendously. I think the best thing about him, what he brings to this team is not only leadership and experience, but also just another big playmaker on the team. You talk about losing DeSean (Jackson), but I think Howie (Roseman) and Chip did a great job of bringing another playmaker to our team."
McCoy likes the idea of he and Sproles running tandem out of the backfield for quarterback Nick Foles. However, the running back has yet to mention the notion that when Sproles is on the field, he is not. This means less carries and less of a chance to chase Peterson in the race for the league's best running back. Fantasy football owners should beware when it comes to drafting either running back. Sure, they will both be stars, racking up the touchdowns, but they might not get the number of carries running backs like Ben Tate or Arian Foster might acquire over the season.