Reunited and it feels so good. The Cleveland Browns are trading cornerback Jason McCourty to the New England Patriots, where he will join his brother – free safety Devin McCourty – on defense.
Trade: The #Browns have traded Jason McCourty to his brother Devin McCourty and the Patriots… They are swapping 6th and 7th round picks this year.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 15, 2018
New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns Swap Draft Picks in Exchange for Jason McCourty
Per Ian Rapoport, the Browns will send Jason and a seventh-round pick to New England in exchange for the Patriots sixth-round pick. This move is good for the Patriots, who were in need of a cornerback after the loss of Super Bowl XLIX hero Malcolm Butler. Butler recently signed a five-year, $61 million contract with the Tennessee Titans. The Patriots took interest in Jason after his release from the Titans in 2017, but never took action.
Jason will make a nice addition to the Patriots defense, which was largely lacking up until the mid-point of last year. He’s racked up 570 total tackles, 87 pass deflections, and 16 interceptions in his career. Last season he ranked as the 17th best corner in the league. Based on career stats alone, it’s possible Jason takes the number two cornerback position behind Stephon Gilmore. Eric Rowe will likely be pushed back in the rotation with Jonathan and Cyrus Jones.
Just hours before the trade, Mike Garafolo tweeted that the Browns were originally going to release Jason. Around the same time, he took to Twitter to thank Cleveland for the opportunity.
Cleveland it’s been real! I wish nothing but the best to the guys in that locker room! Thank you to the Haslam’s and the organization for giving me the opportunity to lead and do what I love last season! #DawgPound (J-Mac) pic.twitter.com/exDm7SvWuB
— Devin&Jason McCourty (@McCourtyTwins) March 15, 2018
The plan to release Jason obviously changed not long after the announcement. New England opted to trade a tail-end draft pick in exchange for the McCourty twin. This trade effectively ends their need for a cornerback, though they could still draft one this year for depth purposes. Instead of losing a player for nothing, the Browns are able to add to their growing list of draft picks.
This marks two players the Patriots have received from the Browns this week. The first came from a trade for defensive lineman Danny Shelton in exchange for New England’s third-round pick in 2019.
