Jason McCourty developed from overlooked sixth-round draft pick to team captain in eight years with the Tennessee Titans. Now, the veteran cornerback is on to the next stage of his NFL career — with the Cleveland Browns, the team announced Wednesday.
Jason McCourty is the latest addition to Browns’ revamped defense
The former Titan has agreed to a deal with Cleveland.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
The deal is expected to be for two years and would reunite McCourty with Browns defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who was an assistance defensive coach for the Titans in 2013.
McCourty drew plenty of interest late in free agency after being released by the Titans in mid-April. He’ll bolster a rebuilding Browns secondary that features former All-Pro Joe Haden and versatile first-round draft pick Jabrill Peppers. While several teams had their eye on the veteran, a springtime trip to Cleveland was enough to lure him to a franchise that sported the league’s worst record in 2016.
Signing the veteran will help mitigate the loss of rookie Howard Wilson, who was expected to compete for the starting role alongside Haden. Wilson fractured his kneecap during rookie minicamp, leaving players like Jamar Taylor, Briean Boddy-Calhoun, and Marcus Burley as the team’s best remaining cornerbacks.
McCourty adds some gravitas to a young and rebuilding roster. The Browns are likely to start at least a pair of rookies on defense in No. 1 overall pick Myles Garrett and Peppers. Two more young talents, Caleb Brantley and Larry Ogunjobi, could also push for significant playing time in 2017. Adding another veteran presence to join Pro Bowlers like Haden and linebacker Jamie Collins will give Cleveland a core of mentors who can lead a revival on Lake Erie.
At 29 years old, questions remain about how much the veteran has left in the tank. He was released by a Titans team with gaping holes in its secondary this offseason. Injuries limited him to only 18 games the past two seasons, though he still managed to break up 12 passes and haul in a pair of interceptions last fall.
If he can live up to the standard he set in Nashville, he’ll be a boon for a pass defense that struggled in 2016. The Browns gave up 11.5 yards per completion last fall, a mark that ranked just 26th in the league. Opposing passers posted a 101.8 passer rating against Cleveland.
McCourty brings another recognizable face to a Browns defense that was mostly anonymous at the start of the 2016 season. While Cleveland still has a long way to go before it can make a run as one of the AFC North’s top teams, a promising offseason suggests this latest attempt at a rebuild could finally work out.
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