Written by Mike Reiss at ESPN.com
With the Tennessee Titans planning to release cornerback Jason McCourty, and the New England Patriots expected to explore options at the position this offseason, it sparks an obvious question: Why not McCourty?
The obvious answer: It’s an ideal match.
Teams can never have enough cornerbacks, and the Patriots currently have Stephon Gilmore, Malcolm Butler, Eric Rowe, Cyrus Jones, Jonathan Jones and Justin Coleman on the depth chart. That’s a solid group, but uncertainty surrounding Butler’s status has the potential to alter the picture.
McCourty would provide quality insurance, dependability, experience and steadiness, and maybe even potentially a No. 2 option should Butler ultimately wind up playing elsewhere in 2017. The Patriots had previously explored the possibility of trading for him two seasons ago.
As for why McCourty will be available in 2017, he was due to earn $7 million in base salary in 2017 and the Titans would have entertained keeping him at a lower figure. But the sides couldn’t find common ground.
Because of that, it sets up a scenario that the McCourty brothers — twins Jason and Devin — have discussed in the past: The possibility of playing together in the NFL for the first time.
In addition to the presence of Devin McCourty on the Patriots’ roster, New England should have an advantage over many other suitors because of its winning pedigree. Jason, 29, hasn’t played in the playoffs in his eight-year career.
Add it all up and it’s something that makes a lot of sense for each side.
And then Mama McCourty can finally wear a full Patriots jersey.
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