Gerald McCoy to Reportedly Choose Between Browns and Ravens
By James.r
It's been a long and eventful nine days for defensive tackle Gerald McCoy since he was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after nine seasons. He's received interest from numerous teams looking for a veteran stud on their defensive line.
Now, according to NFL Network's Ian Rappoport, he's narrowed his choices down to two teams.
Free agent DT Gerald McCoy’s visit to the #Ravens has essentially ended, though his agent and the Baltimore brass will now speak to see if they can do a deal. At this point, it’s #Browns or #Ravens for McCoy. If the price isn’t right, McCoy could visit a third team.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 29, 2019
After he visited both the Browns and Ravens without signing a deal, the division rivals will compete for his services. McCoy would be a solid addition to either club, as he brings a strong résumé of six Pro Bowls and three All-Pro selections at the still-viable age of 31.
The Browns were one of the first teams to reach out to McCoy, and their interest in him has been well-documented, even prior to his release. However, the Ravens have made a strong late push, and apparently his visit in Baltimore went very well.
After the #Ravens visited with Gerald McCoy, my understanding is the free agent defensive tackle is headed home to see his family. After catching up with some folks, the visit was described to me as "A+++." We'll see what that means when it's pen to paper time though.
— ig: josinaanderson (@JosinaAnderson) May 29, 2019
The Ravens are looking for help on a defense that finished second in points allowed last season but lost a couple key pieces in Za'Darius Smith and CJ Mosley. They likely believe McCoy would be a very positive influence in the locker room and on the field now that the heartbeat of their defense, Mosley, is gone.
It can't hurt that former All-Pro defensive lineman Haloti Ngata retired as a Raven on Wednesday and put in a few good words for the team.
Haloti Ngata retired a Raven today, and had some words of wisdom for Gerald McCoy on his free agent visit..
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) May 29, 2019
"For me, I didn't pressure him. I wanted him to know what this organization was about"
? Audio ? pic.twitter.com/3iveai3j6P
The Gerald McCoy sweepstakes are winding down, and soon we will find out what uniform he'll be wearing in 2019.