The top free agent left on the market, who wants to land on a contender, is visiting the Cleveland Browns.
Imagine saying that sentence anytime since ... well, since the Browns came back to the NFL in 1999.
Six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, cut by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday, has many teams interested in him. He’s going to visit the Browns on Friday, general manager John Dorsey told media in Cleveland.
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The Browns are suddenly an attractive destination for free agents.
Gerald McCoy to visit Browns
Just because McCoy is visiting the Browns doesn’t mean he’ll sign there, or that the Browns will necessarily want him. But the fit is intriguing.
McCoy, 31, might not be the player he was in his prime with the Buccaneers. But he still is a good player, and would make a strong Browns defensive line perhaps the best in the league.
Cleveland, after a strong finish last season, has been aggressive acquiring talent, wanting to deliver a playoff appearance to their fans for just the second time since the team re-entered the NFL. The Browns still have more than $33 million in cap space according to Spotrac, so they can make a strong offer if they wish.
But many other teams are interested.
Many teams interested in McCoy
According to Jenna Laine, who covers the Buccaneers for ESPN.com, the Bengals, Falcons, Patriots, Colts and Saints are also showing interest in McCoy. The Colts in particular are interesting, coming off a playoff berth with the most available cap space in the NFL. Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer added the Ravens as another team interested in McCoy.
Players like McCoy don’t often become available in May. The Buccaneers didn’t want to pay him anymore, and quickly replaced him with Ndamukong Suh. When Suh signed, McCoy became the top free agent left on the market.
In past years, the only reason free agents would consider the Browns is they could cash in there. That is changing. We’ll see if the Browns are desirable enough to hold off other contenders for McCoy.
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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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