Browns trade away their best cornerback in Jason McCourty

Cleveland Browns general manager John Dorsey was busy on Thursday, trading cornerback Jason McCourty to the New England Patriots.

Cleveland Browns general manager John Dorsey had not made a trade for several days and apparently the itch just needed to be scratched on Thursday.

The Browns sent veteran cornerback Jason McCourty and a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 205 overall) to the New England Patriots in return for a 2018 seventh-round pick (No. 219 overall), from the Patriots.

The team reported the transaction on its website.

It was the second deal that Dorsey worked out with the Patriots – he traded defensive tackle Danny Shelton to New England on Saturday – and the move reunites McCourty with his twin brother, Devin, who is a free safety.

It is a bit of an odd move for a new of reasons.

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McCourty was the team’s best outside cornerback in 2017 after joining the team as a free agent. He lead the Browns in interceptions, was Pro Football Focus’  27th-ranked cornerback with a grade of 83.9, was only on the books for a little more than $2.9 in salary and roster bonuses for the upcoming season.

Did we also mention he was consistently the team’s best cornerback from week to week?

And after hearing fans and media members bleat for the past two years that the Browns were “too young,” Dorsey just got rid of the one veteran voice in the secondary.

While we’re sure this is strictly a football move that was thoroughly planned out by a “respected football man” in Dorsey, could there have been an underlying motivation to get McCourty out of town?*

Throughout last year’s 0-16 season, head coach Hue Jackson never missed an opportunity to point out that the team’s failings were everyone’s fault but his own. That included repeated mentions of how the team simply was not built to win.

Shortly after being hired, Dorsey added on with his infamous comment about the Browns not having enough “real players.”

Well, that didn’t sit well with McCourty, and after the season-ending loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, he didn’t hold back, according to a cleveland.com article following the game:

"“The talent in this locker room is not the talent to go win a Super Bowl this year, but this locker room is far more talented than 0-16. I’m kind of tired of hearing so many people say, even within the organization, is we don’t have the guys or we need more guys. Let’s work with the guys we do have and find ways to win games.”"

McCourty was likely frustrated about being part of just the second team in NFL history to finish a season at 0-16, and some of that frustration probably fueled his comments. But that doesn’t mean he was wrong in pointing out that not everyone within the confines of team headquarters was rowing in the same direction last season.

Dorsey has been doing what he can to accelerate the Browns rebuilding efforts with the goal of finding ways to win games.

Next: Browns adding offensive line depth

When it comes to McCourty, however, he will no longer be part of that effort and the Browns and the secondary are worse off for it.

*h/t to Evan Silva for planting the seed of McCourty being traded for speaking out.