Massive player-for-player swaps in the NFL are very rare, but Tuesday's deal between the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles would certainly count as massive.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Eagles will trade running back LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills for linebacker Kiko Alonso. Alonso played for Eagles coach Chip Kelly at the University of Oregon.
McCoy's agent Drew Rosenhaus denied any trade was done.
Multiple outlets confirmed Schefter's report, however.
The trade will end the Eagles career of McCoy, one of the franchise's biggest stars the last few years. McCoy was a two-time first-team All-Pro with the Eagles, but his numbers took a huge dip last year and there was speculation he wouldn't return in 2015. McCoy had 2,146 yards from scrimmage in 2013, but just 1,474 last year. His average dropped nearly a yard per carry too, from 5.1 to 4.2.
The move is just as interesting from the Buffalo side. New coach Rex Ryan likes to run the football, but he also likes difference makers on defense. That's what Alonso looked like during a fantastic rookie season. He had 159 tackles in 2013 and was a huge playmaker for the Bills defense. He tore his ACL last year and missed the entire season, but all reports are that his rehabilitation is going well. The Eagles are still taking a risk by adding a player coming off a serious knee injury, but the Bills are making a huge gamble by trading a young defensive star for a running back with 1,461 career carries whose production was way off his norm last year.
It is the type of mega-deal you don't see often in the NFL, one that will be debated for many years to come.
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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