News / Sports
Baltimore Ravens Trade for Buffalo Bills Running Back Willis McGahee
A day after their all-time rushing leader Jamal Lewis signed with the Cleveland Browns the Baltimore Ravens quickly replaced him with Willis McGahee in a trade with the Buffalo Bills.
The Ravens traded their third and seventh round draft pick in this year’s draft as well as their third round pick in 2008 to the Bills for McGahee in hopes that he will fill the void left by Lewis’ departure.
McGahee, 25, was drafted by the Bills in the first round in 2003 but sat out his rookie season with a knee injury. In 2004 he rushed for 1,128 yards and had 13 touchdowns and followed that up the next season with 1,247 yards rushing in 2005. His stats slipped last season as he failed to reach the 1,000 yard mark and the Bills felt re-signing him after next season would be difficult.
Jamal Lewis led the Ravens with 1,132 rushing yards last season and had nine touchdowns. In his six seasons with Baltimore he accumulated 7,801 yards rushing and 45 yards but since his 2003 season when he broke out for 2,066 yards and 14 touchdowns his production had tailed off.
By replacing Lewis, 27, with McGahee, the Ravens will get not just a younger set of legs but a more versatile back that provides them with a few more options out of the backfield.
