After one year in Houston, quarterback Brock Osweiler is on his way out. The Cleveland Browns have received Osweiler and a second round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. The teams are also swapping compensatory selections with Cleveland getting a sixth round pick and Houston a fourth round pick. Surely, this deal can be mutually beneficial, but what does it mean for both teams? What are the implications for both the Houston Texans and the Cleveland Browns?
Update: The Browns are looking to cut or trade Osweiler.
The #Browns are planning on cutting Brock Osweiler, source said. Of course, if someone will trade for him…
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 9, 2017
Houston Texans Trade Brock Osweiler to Cleveland Browns
Houston Texans
This deal is incredibly beneficial for the Houston Texans. First of all, Brock Osweiler heavily underperformed in 2016. Osweiler was a failure in Houston after his promising 2015 campaign. While filling in for Peyton Manning in 2015, Osweiler shined with a great Denver defense. But without that defense, he became a total letdown.
During the 2015-16 offseason, the Texans signed Osweiler to a massive contract. The Texans went all-in on him with a four-year, $72 million deal. Needless to say, Osweiler did not live up to that money. So what gives? What are the Texans trying to do here? Simply put, the Texans are allowing the Cleveland Browns to eat Osweiler’s contract. They are the only ones that could really do that, and in the end, this trade greatly benefits the Texans.
Cleveland Browns
In a weird way, this could be a great move for the Browns. As far as trades go, the Browns clearly did not want to lose any current players. Additionally, this deal might just be coming back to head coach Hue Jackson. Maybe Jackson sees something in Osweiler. Now, is Osweiler’s contracted definitely inflated? Perhaps, but the Browns, as mentioned before, have the most cap space in the league. If Coach Jackson really wants Osweiler that badly, he is more than willing to take on his contract.
As a final thought, let’s go back to Hue Jackson. He’s a known quarterback wizard, having worked with the likes of Carson Palmer and Andy Dalton. Maybe he sees something in Brock Osweiler. And if that’s the case, maybe the Cleveland Browns have finally found their quarterback.
