Jason McCourty

Acquired by the Patriots in March, McCourty will join his twin brother, Devin, who plays safety for the team. Jason McCourty will help fill the void created by the free agent departure of Malcolm Butler, joining a cornerback corps that also includes Stephon Gilmore, Eric Rowe, Jonathan Jones and Cyrus Jones. In his only season with the Browns, the 30-year-old logged 65 tackles and three picks in 14 games.

McCourty missed all but four games in 2015 due to groin issues, but he comes into this campaign healthy and eager to prove he's still capable of being a No. 1 corner. He had 85 tackles and three interceptions while playing all 16 games back in 2014, and will have to return to that level if he wants to maintain the premier role in Tennessee's improved secondary.

With an impressive 85 total tackles at cornerback last season, McCourty topped his 2013 tally by exactly 20 and also ranked third on the Titans in stops. Moreover, last season gave McCourty at least 85 tackles in three of his past four seasons, and he also recorded three interceptions following a zero-pick 2013. Overall, McCourty enjoyed a rebound 2014 season production-wise and now enters the upcoming campaign as the Titans’ top cornerback on the depth chart. That standing gives a rejuvenated McCourty decent fantasy value heading into the 2015 season, though it must be noted that August groin surgery could impact his Week 1 availability.

McCourty will continue to hold down the starting job at left cornerback for Tennessee this season, on the heels of a 2013 campaign in which he saw his tackle total dip to 65 tackles, after recording 92 in 2012 (to go along with four picks).

It isn't clear why Tennessee cornerbacks post such high tackle totals, but they do. Cortland Finnegan did before he left for St. Louis, Alterraun Verner did, and now McCourty does. Although he fell short of the triple-digit tackle mark last year, McCourty piled up 104 stops in 2011, and in both seasons he's been very active in coverage, defending 28 passes over the last two years. He also has six interceptions over that span. With the same role awaiting him in 2013, McCourty should have similar numbers in store this year.

McCourty has very good odds of reaching 100 tackles 2012, something he did in 2011 despite missing one game. In his first season as a starter for the Titans he finished with 103 tackles (83 solo), one sack, 13 passes defended and two interceptions. Generally considered a better player than Alterraun Verner, it's possible McCourty sees fewer pass attempts from opposing quarterbacks; if so, expect lower tackle totals than Verner.

McCourty started three of the final four games in 2010 after coming back from injury in his second season. He is expected to be the starting cornerback across from Cortland Finnegan and could put up some decent pass defending numbers.

McCourty has jumped out to become the number one option as the starting right-side cornerback to replace Nick Harper. It has become a four-man battle for the position so he will need to continue to play well during the 2010 offseason. If he does gain the starting cornerback spot for 2010, you can expect him to have opportunity to put up decent defensive numbers but do not expect All Pro numbers.