The McCourty twins are joining forces in Foxborough. The Patriots have acquired cornerback Jason McCourty from the Browns, Cleveland announced Thursday afternoon. New England and Cleveland swapped sixth- and seventh-round picks to finalize the deal.
The Browns released McCourty earlier Thursday, immediately setting off speculation he would join the Patriots. Jason and Devin have publicly stated their desire to play together. The Patriots also need a cornerback, given the loss of Malcolm Butler.
McCourty, 30, signed a two-year deal worth $6 million last offseason with Cleveland. The nine-year veteran played the previous eight seasons of his career with the Titans. He's recorded 87 passes defensed and 16 interceptions in his career. In the 2009 NFL Draft, the Titans selected Jason McCourty in the sixth-round. The Patriots chose Devin McCourty with the No. 27 overall pick.
Last year, Jason McCourty was open about his interest in playing for the Patriots, but says there wasn't enough room at cornerback.
"I think there was definitely mutual interest. Me and Devin have never hid the fact that us playing together would be a dream come true," McCourty said, via NFL Network. "I think there was definitely mutual interest, but to be honest, the Patriots are kind of set at cornerback. They have a lot of talent in that room. There really wasn't room for me."
That has changed. While it's unclear where McCourty will slot in in the Patriots' secondary, his veteran presence gives them needed depth. Stephon Gilmore, Eric Rowe, Jonathan Jones, Cyrus Jones and Ryan Lewis fill out the team's cornerback depth chart.
