HERTFORDSHIRE, England -- While Buffalo's up-and-down defense certainly could use a player like Kiko Alonso, coach Rex Ryan harbors no regrets over the trade that shipped the talented linebacker out of town.
"Not for two seconds. If they offered that trade again, I'd do it," Ryan said Thursday of the March swap that sent Alonso to the Eagles in exchange for running back LeSean McCoy.
While Ryan prizes defensive talent, his philosophy on offense starts and ends with a ground-and-pound running attack, something McCoy -- when healthy -- can deliver for the Bills.
Shady, though, hasn't been healthy at all, battling a nagging hamstring injury that kept him out of two games this season while limiting the former Philly star to just 236 yards at 3.9 yards per carry this autumn.
McCoy told reporters after Thursday's practice that his first night of sleep in England "was pretty tough," but the hammy "feels good." The seventh-year back said the biggest hurdle has been mental, saying he's trying to "get out of the mindset of, 'I don't want to hurt it again and damage it.' I'll be fine."
With quarterback Tyrod Taylorout again on Sunday, the Bills need McCoy to repeat the 90-yard performance he posted against the Bengals in Week 6. Galloping for 5.3 yards per carry against Cincy's frisky defense, Shady looked better than he has all season.
As for the trade, it's too early to judge, especially with Alonso shelved since Week 2 with a knee injury. Still, we tend to believe Rex after the Bills in March boldly signed McCoy to a new five-year, $40 million contract with a whopping $26.05 million in guarantees. In Shady, they trust.
Wake up and watch with the world. The NFL is live on Yahoo. For the first time ever the NFL is streaming a live game on Yahoo. Bills vs. Jaguars live from London, Sunday, October 25th, at 9:30 a.m. ET.
