As the trade deadline was running out, the Cleveland Browns realized that they had to make a move. Sashi Brown called the office of the Cincinnati Bengals to inquire about quarterback A.J. McCarron. With the deadline looming ever closer, both sides were sure that they had gotten the deal done. Essentially, Cleveland would be giving up a second and third rounder from their coveted draft picks, all in an effort to get McCarron. However, the deal inexplicably never went through. Whether they knew it or not, the Cleveland Browns front office just dodged a bullet.
Cleveland Browns Dodge Bullet With A.J. McCarron Trade Fiasco
What Happened Here?
There have been a number of conflicting reports about why this trade never actually happened. In the hierarchy of NFL reporters to trust, though, Adam Schefter is probably at the top. This was the original report.
Bengals and Browns thought they beat the clock on AJ McCarron trade. Clock beat them. Close but no deal.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 31, 2017
Soon after, however, many other reports have arrived on the scene. One of these, and perhaps the most interesting, is as follows. The Browns were so excited about the deal for McCarron that they forgot to call the league and let them know about the trade. While that is, frankly, hysterically funny, every new report proves it untrue. While the Browns front office can be incompetent (as fans have seen all too often), the Dawg Pound can rest assured that they are not that incompetent.
Trade Details, and How the Deadline Saved the Browns
A.J. McCarron became a Bengal during the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Quarterbacks taken before him include Blake Bortles, Derek Carr, Teddy Bridgewater, and Johnny Manziel. Before the draft, many analysts pegged McCarron as a second-round talent. So, what was wrong with McCarron that scared scouts away? Well, according to his NFL Draft Profile, McCarron lacks the arm strength to really drive the deep ball. Although Hue Jackson knows the Bengals quarterbacks, he must also know that McCarron’s skill set does not work well with these receivers.
With Corey Coleman on his way back from injury relatively soon, the Browns will have a true, pure deep threat. Coleman has had troubles in his professional career with learning the route tree. Considering McCarron’s lack of a deep ball, he’d be relatively ineffective in getting the ball to Coleman. Although the Browns do need a playmaker on offense, they would not be able to correctly utilize Coleman under McCarron. With his arm strength, or lack thereof, it just isn’t feasible.
Conclusion
Throughout the entirety of the 2017 season, nothing about the Browns has made sense. Honestly, this is just a continuation of a season where nothing has gone right in Cleveland. They are currently in possession of an 0-8 record. Had this trade gone through, it was likely a desperation move.
Under McCarron, this Browns offense would likely be even less explosive than it currently is. And trust me, that is saying a lot. DeShone Kizer might not have much, but he does have a solid deep ball at his disposable. Benjamin Allbright likely put it best in saying that, “The Browns already have A.J. McCarron on their roster. They just call him Cody Kessler.” So even if it was by accident, this Browns front office has finally done something right.
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