When the Cleveland Browns failed to acquire A.J. McCarron, the Cincinnati Bengals’ backup quarterback, they showed two things about the organization.
1. They have no idea how to do anything correctly, including filling out paperwork to complete transactions.
2. They have zero faith in DeShone Kizer to be the future quarterback of the organization.
The Browns have made themselves a joke again after this ordeal in which they reportedly had a deal done with the Cincinnati Bengals to land A.J. McCarron for a 2018 second-round and third-round draft pick. The team agreed to complete the deal with Cincinnati at 3:55 P.M. ET, just five minutes before the trade deadline. What needed to happen following that was the Browns and Bengals would need to inform the NFL about their trade they had agreed upon. Cincinnati did, but the Browns failed to and the trade was declined by the league. Rumor has it the Browns front office was too busy celebrating the trade for McCarron and neglected the required paperwork, which is impossible to comprehend if you are a professional sports team. But these are the Browns we are talking about, a team that proves time and time again how behind the rest of the league they truly are. At this point, nothing about the incompetence of the front office shocks this author.
But the biggest statement that this failed trade made was one that does not need an explanation from anyone. No, in this case, the action speaks louder than any words Hue Jackson or Sashi Brown could say. It proves that the franchise has absolutely zero faith and intention of making DeShone Kizer the quarterback of the future moving forward, as they were willing to give up two of their original top three picks for a guy who has played ten games, four of them starts for the Bengals. It now leaves everyone in an awkward state, as nine weeks are still remaining in the 2017 campaign for both teams.
Where do the Browns go from here?
For starters, they appear to be gearing up for another quarterback experiment (number twenty-nine, by the way) with either a signing of a free agent or drafting one in the 2018 NFL Draft. Free agents that stand out for next year are Kirk Cousins, A.J. McCarron, Jay Cutler, and Sam Bradford. Cousins is the only proven player of the four, as McCarron is an unknown and Bradford/Cutler are journeyman quarterbacks. The Browns could push back their glaring need for a quarterback and sign a journeyman for another year or meet the problem head-on with a good signing in the offseason. Of course, the NFL Draft is another option the Browns are sure to explore. Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson are the top signal-callers as of right now in the eyes of scouts. The Browns would be in position for the number one pick again, making the option of taking a quarterback extremely enticing.
If the Browns neglect the position again through those two options, there will be even more confusion about this football team then there was before.
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