#LeSean McCoy signs with Buccaneers as newest Tom Brady weapon

LeSean McCoy agreed to a one-year deal with the Buccaneers on Thursday, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus.

The 32-year-old is another weapon for the new Tom Brady-led offense in Tampa. It is a position the franchise has struggled to find consistency with since Doug Martin’s breakout season in 2015.

“He’s very excited to play with established vets like [Tom] Brady and Gronk (Rob Gronkowski) in trying to win another championship,” Rosenhaus told ESPN on Thursday.

In two decades with the Patriots, Brady, 42, has leaned heavily on pass-catching backs like James White, who was second only to receiver Julian Edelman in receiving for the Patriots last season.

McCoy adds even more depth to a crowded running back corps, joining rookie Ke’Shawn Vaughn, Ronald Jones II and Dare Ogunbowale. The veteran will likely be utilized as a change-of-pace back in a committee, similar to his most recent role in Kansas City where he was deployed sparingly alongside Damien Williams, Darrel Williams and Darwin Thompson. He finished the regular season with 646 offensive yards and five touchdowns on 129 touches, but was not utilized at all during the Chiefs’ postseason run on the way to a Super Bowl title.

The Buccaneers added Vaughn in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft in April. The 23-year-old Vanderbilt product was expected to be an impact player, but he will now face an uphill battle with a shortened offseason and veteran competition. He was also placed on the COVID-19/reserve list on Tuesday, which is designated for players who either test positive for the virus, or have been in close contact with someone who has.

Jones, 22, was drafted in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft from USC. He mainly split carries with Peyton Barber (now with the Redskins) last year and had 724 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns on 172 attempts. He has been utilized occasionally in the passing game as well, and caught 31 of 40 targets for 309 yards in 2019.

This will be McCoy’s fourth team since entering the league back in 2009 as the Eagles’ second-round pick. He spent five seasons with the Bills before his one-year stint with the Chiefs.

The Harrisburg, Penn. native has enjoyed a prolific career through 11 seasons. The six-time Pro Bowler and two-time All Pro is the Eagles’ all-time rushing yards leader, and led the league in rushing touchdowns in 2011 and rushing yards in 2013. He has a lifetime 11,071 rushing yards and 73 rushing touchdowns, as well as 503 catches for 3,797 yards and 16 touchdowns.