According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals attempted to finish a trade that would've sent Bengals backup quarterback AJ McCarron to Cleveland, but despite believing they filed before the deadline, the NFL turned it down.
Bengals and Browns tried, but failed, to complete trade for QB AJ McCarron before deadline, per sources. Deal was “close”; not finalized.
Bengals and Browns thought they beat the clock on AJ McCarron trade. Clock beat them. Close but no deal.
Wait, it gets worse:
Grossi says that apparently the Browns were celebrating their trade and forgot to call in the deal before the deadline…
— Aaron Goldhammer (@HammerNation19) October 31, 2017
According to Jim Owczarski of Cincinnati.com, the Browns were willing to give up second and third-round picks in 2018 for the backup QB.
Unlike the NBA or MLB trade deadlines, the NFL one usually doesn't contain a frenzy of activity. Sure, you'll see some replacement guys shipped off for late-round draft picks, but usually bigger name talents stay with their current organizations.
This year went a bit differently. The action kicked off last night when the New England Patriots sent Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers for a second-round pick. Then, earlier today, the Miami Dolphins moved star running back Jay Ajayi to the Philadelphia Eagles for a fourth-rounder, and the Buffalo Bills acquired Cam Newton's primary wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, giving the Carolina Panthers third and seventh-round draft picks in return.
We would've had another trade to add to the list, but it appears Cleveland simply forgot to call in the deal on time.
As the primary backup for Cincinnati starting QB Andy Dalton, McCarron has impressed when given the chance to run the offense. When Dalton went down with an injury in 2015, McCarron efficiently ran the show while leading the Bengals into the playoffs, nearly beating the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round.
Rarely do you see trades between two teams in the same division, but Browns head coach Hue Jackson was clearly enamored with McCarron after serving as the offensive coordinator in Cincinnati from 2014-to-15.
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