What’s the latest on Cleveland Browns and Gerald McCoy?
By Randy Gurzi
Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy was reportedly going to choose between the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens this weekend, but no word has broken as of Monday afternoon
Gerald McCoy became a free agent late in the game as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers released him on May 20. He promptly made a few visits as he spent time with the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, and Carolina Panthers.
Some reports have suggested that the Panthers are out of the running and that McCoy was planning on deciding between the two AFC North rivals by this past weekend. Obviously, that hasn’t happened as he has still not made a decision as of Monday afternoon.
That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time to worry. The Browns, who remain very much in the running, shouldn’t have to wait much longer to find out the decision and there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com says that sources indicate that McCoy wants to make a decision early this week, especially with minicamps starting soon. As for the Browns, that cam begins on-field action on Tuesday.
Getting into a team before these workouts begin will be huge in getting up to speed, and McCoy — a six-time Pro Bowler — will surely want that as he looks to prove the Bucs erred in releasing him.
Cabot goes on to say that the coaching staff feels strongly that they will land McCoy, but then again the other teams do as well. Still, his visit with the Browns went very well and they have the most cap room out of the teams in play.
On top of that, the defense the Browns run seems to be a much better fit. With Cleveland, he would stay in his natural spot — as a 4-3 defensive tackle. Should he head to the Ravens, McCoy will have to move to a 3-4 defensive end. He has the skill to do so, but at 31-years of age, will he want to go into something that’s more unfamiliar?
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Hopefully, the wait won’t be much longer as we all sit around and wait to see what ends up happening. But as of now, it’s up in the air and the Browns still have a great shot at landing him.