Per the team’s public relations department, the Jacksonville Jaguars have signed fifth-year LB Lerentee McCray as an unrestricted free agent, the club announced today.
“It’s an overwhelming feeling [coming back to Jacksonville],” said McCray. “Since I’ve been in the NFL I’ve been waiting to find a home and I’m excited to be back here and finish the unfinished business that we left last year.”
McCray, 6-3, 249, has appeared in 50 games during his five-year NFL career. McCray signed as an unrestricted free agent with Jacksonville on March 10, 2017, and posted a career-high nine special teams tackles in 13 appearances in his first season with the Jaguars. He has previously spent time with Buffalo and Green Bay after originally signing as an undrafted rookie with Denver on April 27, 2013.
The Jaguars linebacking unit took a punch to the gut last week when it was announced that long-time starter Paul Posluszny was retiring from the NFL. While McCray has used sparingly last season, he figures to get more reps with the defensive unit.
The Jaguars could still take a linebacker in the first few rounds of the NFL Draft. The biggest question on the Jacksonville Jaguars defensive unit is whether Blair Brown, a rookie last season, can step in and help fill the void left by Posluszny’s departure.
The Jacksonville Jaguars could take Rashaan Evans of Alabama in the first round or hope someone like Harold Landry from Boston College is available in the second round.
During his tenure with the Broncos, McCray won Super Bowl 50 as a special teams standout for current Jaguars Special Teams Coordinator Joe DeCamillis, who served in the same capacity for Denver from 2015-16. McCray, a native of Ocala, Fla., played collegiately at the University of Florida from 2008-12 and appeared in 40 games with 25 starts, totaling 65 tackles, including 12.5 tackles for loss.