The McCourty twins share a Twitter account. Will they be sharing a locker room in 2017? If Devin McCourty has his way, you bet.
With his brother Jason McCourtyset to be released by the Titans after spending eight seasons in Nashville, many expect the veteran cornerback to join Devin in New England, an obvious landing spot not only because of the familial relations, but also due to the Patriots' current cornerback quandary. The New England safety, for one, hopes his organization brings his brother in-house.
"I'm excited for him. I was hoping he would be out of Tennessee a couple years ago just to experience something different," the Patriots safety said Friday at Boston University's Play it Forward summit, per the Boston Herald. "I think obviously now everyone is saying 'he's going to come here, he should come here.' But you never know. I hope we're interested in him."
It wouldn't be the first time Jason and Devin played on the same field. The twins both played at cornerback at Rutgers, starting in 2007. Jason was drafted by the Titans in the sixth round of the 2009 draft, while Devin stuck around for one more year before the Patriots snagged him with the 27th selection in the 2010 draft.
"Like I've said before, we've loved to play together," Devin continued, "but I think first and foremost, he has to do what's kind of right for his family and where he could actually play and be out there playing. He's not at the point in his career where he just wants to sit on the bench. He wants to get a chance to get out there and compete. I'm excited for him. It's a little bit of the unknown, but he's my brother, he should do all right. He should just tell people he's related to me."
Even after trading for Brandin Cooks and signing Stephon Gilmore, New England's busy offseason looks to continue through the draft due to their on-again-off-again relationship with Malcolm Butler. The Patriots were reportedly shopping the undrafted cornerback to the Saints in exchange for the 32nd, and then the 11th, selection in the upcoming draft. Reuniting Jason McCourty with his brother could be a cost-effective way to unload Butler and retrieve draft picks in return, if Bill Belichick deems Devin's brother a worthy replacement.Â
And why wouldn't he? Belichick reiterated this week that he only wants to coach players that he likes and can depend on. There hasn't been a more reliable Patriots player on the defensive side of the ball for the past half-decade than Devin McCourty. Fitting Jason, an eight-year vet with similar traits, into his system would be a welcome task for the aging mastermind.
"If he did listen to me, I would definitely shoot him a text message and tell him, 'I don't know if he heard the news, but Jason McCourty is a free agent,'" McCourty said of Belichick. "He'll listen to me sometimes about my opinion on the deep middle, but scouting players, he stays away from me. But I usually have a good thing with the Rutgers guys, so you never know."
For the win-now Patriots, two McCourtys may be better than one.
