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The Cleveland Browns hosted Gerald McCoy for a visit on Friday, but the free agent defensive tackle left town without a deal, according to numerous media reports.
McCoy, who was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Tuesday in a salary cap move, has family plans for the holiday weekend and appears to be willing to take his time about his next team, according to ESPN’s Josina Anderson:
Gerald McCoy has already competed his visit with the #Browns. My understanding is he has plans to spend time with his family this weekend, per sources. https://t.co/Eu8QZcP5Yv
— ig: josinaanderson (@JosinaAnderson) May 24, 2019
In addition to the Browns, McCoy has a visit scheduled with the Baltimore Ravens that he intends to honor, but that does not mean that Cleveland general manager John Dorsey dropped the ball, according to Mary Kay Cabot at cleveland.com:
Updated: Gerald McCoy's visit with the #Browns went great and he could sign here next week after visiting with the #Ravens Tues. Browns tried to sign him while he was here. All the details are here: https://t.co/GtwiKj0eCX
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) May 24, 2019
McCoy has spent his entire nine-year NFL career with the Buccaneers, so it is not a surprise that he may want to take his time selecting his next employer. And with training camp still almost two months away, there is not a huge sense of urgency to get a deal done now. (The Browns will hold a mandatory minicamp from June 4 through June 6, but it is not hard to see a scenario where McCoy would rather skip that.)
As for what he is looking for out of his next team, McCoy is ready to put the losing - Tampa Bay finished last in the NFC South seven times in his nine seasons - behind him, according to Anderson:
When I spoke to Gerald McCoy he told me the team he ends up with "is going to be a contender. I know that...I want to win. I'm not worried about where I'm living. Wherever I got to go to win...Everybody's open (in that respect)." #NFL #FreeAgency
— ig: josinaanderson (@JosinaAnderson) May 24, 2019
With the Browns expected to challenge for the AFC North Division and a playoff spot they certainly meet McCoy’s criteria of being a contender.
In addition to winning, the Browns offer McCoy the opportunity to play on a defensive line with Myles Garrett, Larry Ogunjobi, Sheldon Richardson and Olivier Vernon. The front four is already on track to be one of the league’s best; the addition of McCoy would definitely take it to another level.
The Browns and McCoy may not have been able to agree on a deal, but the door is still open for McCoy to get on board with what the team is building.