The Browns will give Rodney McLeod an opportunity to play a 12th NFL season. The veteran safety agreed to terms with Cleveland on Thursday, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com tweets.
A longtime Eagles starter, McLeod spent last season with the Colts. While Indianapolis used a third-round pick on a safety (Nick Cross), McLeod held off the rookie and started 15 games in 2022. McLeod will join a Browns team that added Juan Thornhill to a position group housing former second-rounder Grant Delpit.
McLeod, who is heading into his age-33 season, played for new Browns DC Jim Schwartz in Philadelphia. McLeod’s Eagles run overlapped with Schwartz’s five-year stay as Philly’s DC. McLeod (138 career starts) will certainly supply the Browns with experience and scheme familiarity. Browns GM Andrew Berry also stopped through Philly during McLeod’s tenure.
The Eagles signed McLeod shortly after hiring Schwartz in 2016. The 5-foot-11 defender ended up making 62 starts during Schwartz’s time as DC, becoming one of the team’s secondary cornerstones alongside Malcolm Jenkins. McLeod played every Eagles defensive snap during their 2017 postseason run to Super Bowl LII. While that was five years ago, McLeod showed last season he still has gas in the tank. Pro Football Focus ranked McLeod as the No. 7 overall safety in 2022; this placement included the second-best coverage grade among safeties.
Indianapolis managed to land McLeod for just $1.77MM. Although the Colts’ higher-profile issues overshadowed McLeod’s season, the former Rams UDFA made a career-high 96 tackles; his eight tackles for loss more than doubled his previous-best figure. McLeod added two interceptions — one returned for a touchdown during the Colts’ season finale — to run his career total to 18. The Colts will now move on from both the 30-somethings in their defensive backfield; McLeod’s departure comes two months after the team traded Stephon Gilmore to the Cowboys.
Cleveland experienced a number of issues on defense last season. Miscommunications frequently limited the Browns, helping lead to DC Joe Woods‘ ouster. Through this lens, the team bringing in an ex-Schwartz charge stands to assist its younger players in learning a new scheme.
The Browns released John Johnson after two seasons and have not re-signed Ronnie Harrison, a three-year Cleveland contributor. Delpit represents the only notable returner at this position, and it is safe to expect Thornhill — given a three-year, $21MM deal that includes $14MM guaranteed at signing — to be a starter. The Browns have used three safeties often in recent years; McLeod coming in gives the team this option again in 2023.
This makes a ton of sense, especially since they didn’t draft a safety this year.
I don’t necessarily expect him to grade as an elite safety again this year, but best case scenario he can give them a few hundred snaps of solid play at a spot they don’t have much depth at. At worst, he’s a solid veteran influence — which they had none of last year.