Takkarist McKinley Fails Physical With 49ers, Browns Likely To Put in Claim For Third Time
Former Atlanta Falcons pass rusher Takkarist McKinley has been waived by the San Francisco 49ers with a failed physical designation. After being waived by the Falcons, he was claimed and waived by both the Cincinnati Bengals and 49ers with a failed injury designation due to a groin issue.
The Browns had inquired about possibly trading for McKinley ahead of the trade deadline, but didn't pull the trigger. They have put in claims both times he's been available on waivers and it stands to reason they will try again.
That can't be terribly reassuring for Joe Jackson, the fourth defensive end on the Browns roster currently. The positive news for him is with the loss of Myles Garrett for at least the Philadelphia Eagles game and likely their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He will have his opportunity to impress in at least one if not both games.
The Browns were keen on adding McKinley before Garrett was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, so the fact it's a bigger need now will only encourage them to keep trying.
McKinley wanted to be traded away from the Falcons, then proceeded to scold the team via social media for not trading him. None of that has diminished the appetite for teams to take him on, which may be a function of his contract.
McKinley will earn less than a million for the rest of this season if he's able to be secured by a team who will pass him on the physical. They will not only get to try him out for virtually nothing the rest of this year, they would have a head start to try to re-sign him for the 2021 season.
In the event McKinley were to leave in free agency and another team signed him, the team that finished the 2020 season will be awarded the compensatory value.
The Browns may be planning to be aggressive in free agency, but the sheer number of players that are likely to walk after signing one-year contracts could net the Browns a compensatory pick on volume. It may be a sixth or seventh round pick in 2022, but that would still be a free asset.
For now, McKinley is headed back to waivers and unless a team that hasn't put in a claim for McKinley suddenly does, the Browns have a pretty good chance of getting him. The third time is a charm after all.
