Gerald McCoy was intrigued by what the Cleveland Browns ‘could be’

The Cleveland Browns were unable to land Gerald McCoy, but the defensive tackle revealed why he was interested in joining the Browns.

When the Gerald McCoy sweepstakes were in full swing, the Cleveland Browns seemed like one of the favorites to land the defensive tackle.

After being released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, McCoy made it clear that he wanted his next team to be a contender. McCoy has never reached the playoffs during his nine-year career, and this was his best opportunity to join a winner.

Because of the upgrades Browns general manager John Dorsey has made to the roster over the past two seasons, Cleveland is now viewed as a contender. The Browns are the favorites to win the AFC North next season and have the third-best odds to win the AFC Championship.

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With how much talent the Browns boast on both sides of the ball, it seemed like it would only be a matter of time before McCoy was signing with the Browns. Even before he was released, McCoy was being connected to Cleveland.

But after visiting with the Browns, Cleveland let McCoy leave without signing a deal and allowed him to take other visits. McCoy’s third and final visit was with the Panthers, and Carolina convinced McCoy to sign a contract.

During an interview with Ian Rapoport on the RapSheet and Friends podcast, McCoy said he was intrigued by the Browns because of the talent they had on the roster and the potential of what the team could be in 2019.

"“Cleveland, they’re the new hot team. Tons of talent on paper and what they could be was very enticing to me. It was very intriguing, so I wanted to go see what they were all about. Cleveland doesn’t have a very good history over the past so many years but that doesn’t mean things are not about to change.” – Gerald McCoy, via the RapSheet + Friends podcast"

McCoy also said that he has respected what Dorsey has been able to do for the roster and that the culture has changed in Cleveland. He also said that there is so much talent on the roster, including Baker Mayfield being a winner and having the “it factor,” that made Cleveland such an intriguing team.

Although the Browns missed out on signing McCoy, it is a great sign for the team’s future that top free agents believe things are changing in Cleveland. If the Browns can win as many games as they are expected to in 2019, it will show players around the league that these are the brand new Cleveland Browns and that they are contenders.

As McCoy mentioned, the Browns do not have a good history over the past decade, but it seems like things are about to change. The Browns reaching the playoffs in 2019 could make Cleveland a destination team for NFL players wanting to win over the next couple of years.