Where will Devin McCourty go? 5 possible landing spots.
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| Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images |
With free agency upon us, it's time to look at where the Patriots key free agents may land. Now on the block, Devin McCourty. This list is purely based on last season stats and cap space, not on previous rumors. The teams mentioned may or may not have actual interest in bringing him on board.
1.) Atlanta Falcons: The Atlanta Falcons ranked dead last in opponents passing yards per game at 280, so they obviously need some help in the secondary. They also have about $25 million in cap room, so they have some wiggle room when it comes to bringing someone on board. I don't know if they'll target D-Mac, but he could help them in the secondary.
2.) Chicago Bears: This seems unlikely, but there's no denying the Chicago Bears need help. The vaunted Chicago defense is a shadow of it's former self, as evidenced by the thrashing we gave them in October and the fact that they ranked 30th in pass defense last season (264 YPG). They have $29 million in cap space, so they could definitely make a push for some help for their depleted defense.
3.) Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals have a lot of cap space, $37 million to be exact, and they need to improve their 20th-ranked pass defense if they want to make a serious playoff push. They could be a team that makes a push for Devin McCourty in free agency.
4.) Tennessee Titans: Rumors are floating around that Jason McCourty might try to recruit his brother to the Titans, and the Titans certainly have the cap room at $44 million to make a push. Tennessee was middle of the pack when it came to pass defense (236 YPG), and having Devin would put them in the top half for passing defense. I doubt Devin goes to Tennessee, but they have the cap room to pay Devin whatever he wants.
5.): Denver Broncos: The Denver Broncos have $28 million in cap space, and if they honestly want to be serious contenders, they have to improve their pass defense. They're ranked 9th, but if they expect to be taken seriously as contenders, they have to aim to be top 5 in 2015 and McCourty would help with that.
Again, this is just speculation. I don't know what the interest level in McCourty will be when free agency starts. Or maybe the Patriots will get something worked out with him before free agency even starts, whether that means an extension or the franchise tag. I personally hope the Patriots can work something out and bring him back, because we need to keep our core guys around if we want to repeat.
Stats from ESPN.com. Cap info from overthecap.com
1.) Atlanta Falcons: The Atlanta Falcons ranked dead last in opponents passing yards per game at 280, so they obviously need some help in the secondary. They also have about $25 million in cap room, so they have some wiggle room when it comes to bringing someone on board. I don't know if they'll target D-Mac, but he could help them in the secondary.
2.) Chicago Bears: This seems unlikely, but there's no denying the Chicago Bears need help. The vaunted Chicago defense is a shadow of it's former self, as evidenced by the thrashing we gave them in October and the fact that they ranked 30th in pass defense last season (264 YPG). They have $29 million in cap space, so they could definitely make a push for some help for their depleted defense.
3.) Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals have a lot of cap space, $37 million to be exact, and they need to improve their 20th-ranked pass defense if they want to make a serious playoff push. They could be a team that makes a push for Devin McCourty in free agency.
4.) Tennessee Titans: Rumors are floating around that Jason McCourty might try to recruit his brother to the Titans, and the Titans certainly have the cap room at $44 million to make a push. Tennessee was middle of the pack when it came to pass defense (236 YPG), and having Devin would put them in the top half for passing defense. I doubt Devin goes to Tennessee, but they have the cap room to pay Devin whatever he wants.
5.): Denver Broncos: The Denver Broncos have $28 million in cap space, and if they honestly want to be serious contenders, they have to improve their pass defense. They're ranked 9th, but if they expect to be taken seriously as contenders, they have to aim to be top 5 in 2015 and McCourty would help with that.
Again, this is just speculation. I don't know what the interest level in McCourty will be when free agency starts. Or maybe the Patriots will get something worked out with him before free agency even starts, whether that means an extension or the franchise tag. I personally hope the Patriots can work something out and bring him back, because we need to keep our core guys around if we want to repeat.
Stats from ESPN.com. Cap info from overthecap.com
