2018 NFL free agency: Should the Patriots be interested in recently released Browns cornerback Jason McCourty?

Ever since Malcolm Butler spent the majority of Super Bowl LII on the sidelines, the writing was on the wall that he would leave the New England Patriots – which he did by signing a five-year, $61 million free agency contract with the Tennessee Titans. The Titans, by the way, are the team that cornerback Jason McCourty, twin brother of New England safety Devin McCourty, used to call his home until last year.

With the Patriots being in the market for cornerback depth and Jason McCourty being released by the Cleveland Browns today, the way could be paved for the 30-year old to finally be reunited with his twin brother, who is 27 minutes older than him, for the first time since both played together at Rutgers. So, could a possible reunion of the McCourty brothers in New England be on the horizon?

From the Patriots’ perspective, bringing the younger McCourty on board would make sense. He is coming off a very solid season in Cleveland and would add plenty of experience to the Patriots' secondary. Furthermore, if signed, McCourty would a) not count against the compensatory draft picks formula – something the Patriots very much keep in mind – and b) likely not be asked to serve as New England's number one option and instead as a number two/three opposite Stephon Gilmore and alongside Eric Rowe.

Money will obviously play a key role as well, but McCourty is not expected to break the bank. During his first and only season with the Browns, he was paid a salary of $1.5 million with a final cap hit of $2.3 million. Would a similar deal as well as the chance to play alongside his brother and for a contender entice him to join the Patriots? That very well could be the deciding factor.

Overall, Jason McCourty still appears to be capable of being a solid number two or three cornerback option. Whether he will ultimately get a chance to be that for the Patriots remains to be seen. On the surface, though, it would definitely make sense to at least bring him in for a visit and find out whether or not he can help the team.