With the unceremonious departure of Malcolm Butler, it was no surprise that the New England Patriots would be looking to their defensive backfield. However, they might not have expected to pair one of their defensive backs – Devin McCourty – with his twin brother as a means of filling the gap left by Butler. But that’s exactly what the Patriots did by acquiring Jason from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for swapping late-round picks.
Trade: The #Browns have traded Jason McCourty to his brother Devin McCourty and the Patriots… They are swapping 6th and 7th round picks this year.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 15, 2018
Jason McCourty was expected to be released by the Browns, but New England instead acted beforehand and made the deal. The Browns accepted, a pretty obvious move to get something for a player they were going to let go for nothing.
The Patriots have shown an ability to resuscitate careers of players let go by other clubs, and they hope the chemistry the twins have will transfer to the football field. Either way, it’s a pretty cool story, in and of itself, that the McCourty brothers will have the opportunity to play professional football together.
The brothers played together at Rutgers University but then were separated in the pro ranks when Devin was taken in the first round (27th overall) by New England while Jason had to wait until the sixth (203rd overall) to hear his name called by the Tennessee Titans.
Jason spent his first eight seasons in the NFL playing cornerback for Tennessee before signing on to play for the Browns in 2017. Devin hasn’t played for any other team besides the Patriots but has seen a position change (cornerback to safety) in his time there.
The newest Patriot has made 106 career starts and has NFL interceptions while his brother has accumulated 123 starts and 20 interceptions.
