Clinton Portis thinks there's one absolute winner in this blockbuster running back for defensive player trade.
"I don't see Kiko Alonso turning out to be a J.J. Watt or a Ray Lewis, just dominating this conference," Portis said Wednesday on NFL AM. "Maybe he does, but I don't see it. It'll be hard to do. The Bills really won in this trade and I know for LeSean McCoy, there's some aggravation in being traded, you feel like you've done so much for a city, but you have an opportunity to go to a team that wants you, play for Rex Ryan, a guy you know will run the ball."
He added: "This is a trade I really don't understand."
Portis' perspective is interesting. Exactly 11 years ago Tuesday, he was dealt in a blockbuster trade that sent him to Washington in exchange for cornerback Champ Bailey.
Portis went on to play seven years in his new destination while Bailey put in 10 with the Broncos, an expected range given the lifespan of a running back in the NFL.
By all accounts, that trade was relatively even. Portis put up over 1,000 yards in four of his first five seasons in Washington and Bailey picked off 21 passes in his first three seasons (including 10 in 2006).
But in Portis' mind, this is not that kind of trade.
In a way, he's right. Alonso is not as established a defensive player though Portis was speaking from the point of view of an observer who expects McCoy, 26, to give the Bills four more high-quality seasons.
Is that possible? Can a back whose game is predicated on speed and breakneck movement keep up that kind of production into his 30's?
Alonso, meanwhile, is just 24. He's also much, much cheaper.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast reacts to the LeSean McCoy-Kiko Alonso trade and what it means for the Eagles and Bills. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
