Gerald McCoy has widely been considered one of the best defensive tackles in the game for years now, but there’s been talk all offseason that McCoy might get traded. McCoy is going into his 10th NFL season and definitely has some miles on him, but he can still be an impact player for most teams. With all of that in mind, here are four teams that should be testing the waters and seeing if they can swing a trade for the big defensive tackle.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns were rumored to be interested in McCoy very recently, and he would make a lot of sense for the team. They don’t have a lot of interior defensive line talent, and Myles Garrett would love someone else to draw a double team. The Browns own all of their picks next year but don’t have much else to offer, and the Bucs would likely be looking for a big return from a franchise stalwart. If the right price can be settled on, John Dorsey won’t hesitate to pull the trigger.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were one of the worst teams against the run in the league last year. A lot of it can be chalked up to injuries on every level of the defense, but at the end of the day they don’t have any impact players on their defensive line other than Grady Jarrett. McCoy would eat up space and let Jarrett go to work on passing downs, and would give the Falcons defense the boost they need to have a bounceback year. Thomas Dimitroff is aggressive when the situation calls for it, and the Falcons want to contend for a Super Bowl after missing the playoffs entirely last season. It seems unlikely that Tampa would want to move McCoy within the division, but it’s worth it for Atlanta to pick up the phone and ask.
New England Patriots
This would be a move consistent with Bill Belichick’s recent strategy of trading draft picks for established veterans. McCoy’s contract is a big obstacle, but if they can restructure it and keep both sides happy, this is a great move. Belichick has always liked having a space-eating tackle in the middle of his defense (Vince Wilfork, Danny Shelton, Malcolm Brown), and McCoy fits that profile, in addition to pass-rushing prowess. The Pats don’t have one of those right now, and while Michael Bennett was a valuable addition, McCoy is both a better player and fits more into what the Patriots look for in their defensive lineman. It’s a bit of a long shot, but you can never count New England out in situations like these.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks are looking to build on last year’s surprise playoff success, and they do love to build on the defensive side of the ball. McCoy would be a beast in Pete Carroll’s defense and would do a lot to help overcome the losses experienced in the secondary over the last few years, especially the departures of Earl Thomas and Justin Coleman. John Schneider is notoriously reluctant to trade his own draft picks away for only players in return but McCoy is good enough that the team would at least consider it if they found the price was right. McCoy would make sure the defense doesn’t fall off from the top-ten status it’s held over the last few years and alleviate the pain of the end of the Legion of Boom.
from The Big Lead http://bit.ly/2Vjjl4Y
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