Cleveland Browns Sign Former UVA Safety Rodney McLeod

McLeod joins fellow former Wahoo Juan Thornhill in the Cleveland secondary

Max Gersh/IndyStar-USA TODAY Sports

Make that two former Virginia football stars in the secondary of the Cleveland Browns. Seven weeks after Juan Thornhill signed a three-year contract to join the Browns in free agency, Cleveland has brought in another former Wahoo safety, as Rodney McLeod agreed to terms with the Browns on Thursday. 

McLeod projects as Cleveland's third safety behind Thornhill and Grant Delpit. As McLeod has played both strong and free safety at a high level throughout his career, he will likely see the field quite a bit in Jim Schwartz's defense. McLeod and Schwartz spent five seasons together in Philadelphia when Schwartz served as the defensive coordinator for the Eagles and both were part of the team that won Super Bowl LII. 

After an accomplished four-year career at Virginia, McLeod signed as an undrafted free agent in 2012 with the St. Louis Rams, where he spent the first four seasons of his professional career and proved himself as a starting-caliber safety. McLeod then joined the Eagles for the next six seasons, winning a ring in 2018, before signing with the Indianapolis Colts in 2022, a season which saw him record career-highs with eight tackles for loss and eight pass deflections and finish third on the team with 96 tackles. 

Although he began his career as an undrafted free agent, McLeod has outpaced many of his drafted counterparts from the 2012 class. McLeod has made 138 starts and has appeared in 156 career games, more than all but 11 of the players drafted in 2012, per ESPN's Jake Trotter. In 11 seasons, McLeod has totaled 689 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 11 forced fumbles, 60 passes defended, 18 interceptions, and three touchdowns. 

Rodney McLeod will look to continue his successful career in the National Football League as he suits up for the Cleveland Browns for year 12. 

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