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Is new Cleveland Browns’ player Rodney McLeod really a difference maker?

By Chad Porto

CLEVELAND, OHIO - NOVEMBER 22: Free safety Rodney McLeod #23 of the Philadelphia Eagles pauses after a play against the Cleveland Browns during the first half at FirstEnergy Stadium on November 22, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - NOVEMBER 22: Free safety Rodney McLeod #23 of the Philadelphia Eagles pauses after a play against the Cleveland Browns during the first half at FirstEnergy Stadium on November 22, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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Sep 11, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Rodney McLeod (23) breaks up a pass play intended for Cleveland Browns wide receiver Corey Coleman (19) during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 11, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Rodney McLeod (23) breaks up a pass play intended for Cleveland Browns wide receiver Corey Coleman (19) during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

What does PFF say about Rodney McLeod historically?

So, the minute fans see something positive about a guy, they leap at it and hold it as fact, despite there being layers to these conversations. So if you don’t care about Pro Football Network, CBS Sports, or NFL.com because they don’t tell you what you want to hear, let’s look at PFF’s scores on McLeod.

First, let’s keep some things in mind. From 2012 to 2015, he played for the St. Louis Rams. From 2016 to 2021, he played for the Eagles, but Schwartz left after 2020. In 2022 he played for the Indianapolis Colts.

So with that said, let’s look at how PFF has graded him, specifically as a member of the Eagles under Schwartz.

  • 2012: NL OVR/NL RDEF/ NL PRUSH/ NL COV
  • 2013: 53.3 OVR/49.2 RDEF/ 44.0 PRUSH/ 54.7 COV
  • 2014: 67.1 OVR/ 59.0 RDEF/ 36.1 PRUSH/ 71.2 COV
  • 2015: 74.9 OVR/ 85.0 RDEF/ 49.9 PRUSH/ 71.3 COV
  • 2016: 71.6 OVR/ 69.3 RDEF/ 90.4 PRUSH/ 70.1 COV
  • 2017: 74.0 OVR/ 60.6 RDEF/ 60.9 PRUSH/ 77.4 COV
  • 2018: 75.8 OVR/ 52.1 RDEF/ 53.7 PRUSH/ 78.2 COV
  • 2019: 65.9 OVR/ 52.4 RDEF/ 64.7 PRUSH/ 70.6 COV
  • 2020: 70.8 OVR/ 57.1 RDEF/ 54.7 PRUSH/ 77.3 COV
  • 2021: 63.7 OVR/ 75.3 RDEF/ 57.6 PRUSH/ 58.3 COV
  • 2022: 80.1 OVR/ 66.8 RDEF/ 60.6 PRUSH/ 85.3 COV

What should also be noted in this also, is that he didn’t start every game as a Colt, and played a Cover 3 scheme, while Schwartz usually runs a Wide-9. So the emphasis on what McLeod will have to do is highly different from scheme to scheme. Running with Schwartz’s scheme, even when he was in the prime of his career, he was only ever an average safety.

So what’s more likely to happen in 2023, with a 33-year-old, going back to a scheme he didn’t excel in? Another Top 10 season? Seems unlikely.

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