Former Eagle Rodney McLeod reunites in Cleveland with Jim Schwartz, Andrew Berry and Catherine Raiche to fill third-safety role with Browns. (ESPN)
Browns patch another defensive hole with addition of veteran safety Rodney McLeod
You must have an active subscription to read this story.
Click Here to subscribe Now!
Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Andrew Berry ain’t done yet.
The Browns’ GM agreed to terms with veteran safety Rodney McLeod on Thursday and indicated there could be still other veteran additions soon.
“You’re trying to put some of the finishing touches on your roster,” Berry said, confirming the acquisition of McLeod in an appearance on The Next Level on 850 ESPN Cleveland. “There may be some other things that we’re looking to do either in the veteran market or the trade market over the next several weeks.”
It is no secret that Berry wants to add another veteran defensive end to join a rotation with Myles Garrett and free agent pickup Ogbonnia Okoronkwo.
Berry drafted Missouri defensive end Isaiah McGuire in the fourth round last week, but the belief is that defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz still wants an additional gun-for-hire edge rusher.
Possibilities include Cleveland-native Frank Clark, 29, recently of the Kansas City Chiefs; Robert Quinn, 32, lastly with the Philadelphia Eagles; Justin Houston, 34, late of the Baltimore Ravens; and Melvin Ingram, 34, who played last year with the Miami Dolphins.
McLeod fills a role that Berry has been reserving throughout the transaction season. McLeod essentially replaces Ronnie Harrison as a third safety to join starters Grant Delpit and Juan Thornhill in “big dime” packages, which Schwartz intends to utilize. McLeod also has the versatility to back up either Delpit or Thornhill in conventional two-safety configurations.
For now, McLeod is the second-oldest player on the Browns’ roster. He turns 33 on June 23. Long snapper Charley Hughlett turns 33 on May 16.
McLeod was the starting strong safety on the Eagles’ 2017 Super Bowl championship team with Schwartz as coordinator. He stayed with the Eagles through 2021, during which he was exposed to Berry, who mentored under GM Howie Roseman in 2019, and assistant GM Catherine Raiche, who also worked under Roseman from 2019 through 2021.
McLeod originally was an undrafted free agent of the then-St. Louis Rams in 2012. He moved on to the Eagles in 2016 and started 75 games over six years.
McLeod left the Eagles for the Colts in 2022 and produced one of his best seasons at the age of 32 – career-highs of 96 tackles, including eight tackles-for-loss, along with eight passes defensed, two interceptions and his first career Pick 6 in the last game of the season against the Houston Texans.
