There was a report this month that the Saints planned to release defensive tackle Malcom Brown after attempts to trade him didn’t pan out, but they wound up getting the bid they were looking for before making the cut.
Jacksonville sent a seventh-round pick to New Orleans to acquire Brown and moving to the Jaguars represents a big change for the six-year veteran. Brown’s teams have gone to the playoffs every year while the Jaguars have been there once since 2007 and are coming off of a 1-15 season.
That record and being close to having a choice of a next team might make some players balk at a trade, but Brown’s not taking that position. His college head coach Charlie Strong is on the Jaguars staff and Brown said he’s looking at the future with head coach rather than the team’s past.
''I was ecstatic,” Brown said, via John Reid of the Florida Times-Union. “I heard what coaches were here and what direction they were going in and like I said, I was happy. I already knew the situation I was in over in New Orleans, I already knew they had to get under cap space. When the trade happened, I was on the phone, I was happy, I was running around the house. It doesn’t matter where the program was last year, it’s about what we do next year.”
Meyer said he wants to build the team’s defense around the defensive line and the trade for Brown is a significant part of that effort for the 2021 season.