Cleveland Browns expected to sign cornerback Jason McCourty
In search of some veteran help in their secondary, the Cleveland Browns are set to sign cornerback Jason McCourty.
Last season, the Cleveland Browns finished 21st in the NFL in pass defense and in the bottom half of the league with just 10 INTs. Not much has been done this offseason to address the cornerback position, and fifth-round pick Howard Wilson suffered a fracture kneecap during rookie minicamp to further thin Cleveland’s depth there.
Jason McCourty was cut by the Tennessee Titans in April after eight seasons with the team. The New England Patriots were immediately mentioned as a possible fit due to brother Devin being there as free safety, but McCourty’s market went quiet before a Tuesday morning report of a visit with the Browns.
According to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal, via McCourty’s agent, the veteran cornerback and the Browns have agreed to a two-year deal. NFL Network’s Courtney Fallon had the details of the contract.
Jason McCourty tells me he's putting pen to paper on a 2-year, 6M deal with the #Browns. 2M guaranteed. Big time addition to that roster.
— Courtney Fallon (@CourtneyFallon_) May 16, 2017
McCourty should step right in as a starter opposite Joe Haden, pushing Jamar Taylor and Briean Boddy-Calhoun down the depth chart. He played 108 games over eight seasons with the Titans, starting 90, with 13 interceptions and 72 pass breakups. McCourty also played under Browns defensive coordinator Gregg Williams in 2013, so that experience is surely something that’s considered valuable as other players learn a completely new defensive scheme.
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McCourty may be equally valuable on and off the field for the Browns. The only season in his career he has missed significant time was 2015, when a groin issue limited him to four games. He had a solid, mostly healthy season in 2016 (14 games), with 69 total tackles, 12 pass breakups and two interceptions, but his $7 million salary for this year was prohibitive for the Titans.