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LeSean McCoy is coming off a season in which he led the league in rushing, and also led it in carries (314) and touches (366). But neither McCoy nor the 5-10, 209-pounder's handler, Eagles running backs coach Duce Staley, think last season's heavy workload took an inordinate toll on him.
"No concern," Staley said. "Of course, you think about it. But it's definitely not a concern. He has conditioned his body. He came into training camp this summer in the best shape, by far, that he's been in since I've been here."
Last October, after McCoy racked up 123 carries in the Eagles' first six games -- a 328-carry pace -- Domowitch asked Staley whether he was concerned about overworking McCoy. He acknowledged he was. He said he would monitor the tailback's touches, not let him exceed 300 carries.
But that's easy to say in October and hard to do in December when you're fighting tooth and nail to win your division and make the playoffs, and giving the ball to a white-hot McCoy as many times as possible is the best way to accomplish that.
"When your back is against the wall and you've got a guy with that much talent and production, it's hard to take that production off the field," Staley said this week.
This year, McCoy shed five pounds from his 2013 playing weight. He has a second straight rushing title in his sights. And if Staley and Chip Kelly ask him to carry the rock another 300-plus times again this season, he won't hesitate. If he knocks on the 400-touch door for a second straight year, so be it.
But he doesn't think that will happen. He thinks the arrival of Darren Sproles will mean fewer touches for him.
And he's perfectly OK with that.
"I think I'll [still] be the guy with most of the load, but I don't know that 300-plus carries is really needed," McCoy said.
"Sure, if the game gets tight and they need to ride me, I'm the guy for it. But I think we'll be mixing it up, with Sproles doing different things."
Meanwhile, when it comes to stopping --or at least slowing down -- McCoy, Jaguars linebacker Geno Hayes said it’s important for tacklers to never think they have McCoy tackled.
Until McCoy is on the ground with an official reaching for the football, he is still a threat to break free.
"He has one that one quick-step burst and then it’s like -- ahhh -- then he freezes you up and he’s up the field and he’s getting another 5, 6 7, 8 yards," Hayes said. "That’s one of things that makes him great." As ESPN.com's Michael DiRocco noted, Making sure McCoy doesn’t have those kinds of plays is the biggest key for the Jaguars.
It was something easier said than done last season, when McCoy had 17 rushes or receptions of at least 20 yards and nine for at least 30 yards last season, including four for touchdowns.