LeSean McCoy, Justin Gilbert Injured During Joint Bills-Browns Practice

Two of the most crucial names for the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns went down with injury today. Both injuries occurred during the two teams’ final joint practice session ahead of their preseason clash this Friday.

Buffalo running back LeSean McCoy limped to the locker room with a suspected left hamstring injury. Head coach Rex Ryan downplayed the severity of the injury, saying McCoy’s hamstring was intact and that no separation from the bone occurred. McCoy is scheduled to undergo an MRI shortly.

With his immediate future up in the air, McCoy joins a growing list of wounded Bills running backs that includes veteran Fred Jackson (recovering from a hamstring injury of his own) and explosive downhill runner Anthony ‘Boobie’ Dixon (calf).

A unit that boasted so much promise during the offseason may have its depth and integrity questioned in the next few weeks with a locked-in starter yet to emerge. McCoy was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Philadelphia Eagles for Kiko Alonso in March.

In a cruel twist of fate for the embattled Bills, the same day that McCoy suffered his injury also marked Alonso’s clearance to resume practice after suffering a concussion two weeks ago.

Speaking of embattled, the Cleveland Browns may also be without second-year corner Justin Gilbert, following reports that he pulled a muscle in his right quadriceps, which head coach Mike Pettine later confirmed as a hip flexor.

The injury doesn’t bode well for a sophomore campaign that was supposed to be Gilbert’s bounce back following a very lacklustre rookie season. The Browns dropped $7 million on former Green Bay Packers corner Tramon Williams in free agency should Gilbert prove unable to pick up the slack.

With Williams reportedly enjoying a great camp, and Gilbert’s length of time on the sidelines yet to be disclosed, that seems like a decision that could pay off sooner rather than later.