Winners and Losers From the Botched Cleveland Browns - Cincinnati Bengals Trade
The Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals agreed to a trade right before the NFL trade deadline. Then somebody forgot to do something and the trade didn’t go through. As with any trade, there were winners and losers.
Winner: Cincinnati Bengals
Via ESPN:
"“AJ is a very valuable member of this team. I told him as such yesterday. Frankly, I was relieved so I don’t have to go through those gymnastics of the next step. He’s a great kid. He’s a true team player. He’s a leader. He’s a leader on this football team, and that’s why we felt like he is such a valuable asset. [Bengals owner Mike Brown] was very clear about that about how we felt about him.”"
So the Bengals agreed to a trade but were then happy that the trade fell through. Sounds like they were winners either way.
Loser: Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals could have obtained valuable 2nd and 3rd round draft picks in exchange for A.J. McCarron. Now they have A.J. McCarron.
Winner: Cleveland Browns
Instead of A.J. McCarron, who would have become the third unsuccessful quarterback of the season, the Browns have two more draft picks which they can use to pick future unsuccessful quarterbacks. Also, the Browns were able to get the Bengals to agree to trade a valuable asset even though the trade was never completed. That’s a moral victory.
Loser: Cleveland Browns
Via PFT:
"“Per a league source, ownership (specifically Dee Haslam) went “nuclear” on the front office in the aftermath of the failed effort to consummate a trade for Bengals quarterback A.J. McCarron.”"
Now is a good time to remember that the Browns passed on McCarron 6 times before he was drafted in 2014. Imagine where that franchise could be today if only they had acted then.
Winner: A.J. McCarron
He doesn’t have to move to Cleveland.
Loser: A.J. McCarron
He is stuck in Cincinnati.
Winner: Hue Jackson
You no longer look like most incompetent person in the organization. You are just one of many.
Loser: Hue Jackson
A coach is lucky to ever get a shot at coaching a once-in-a-lifetime talent like A.J. McCarron, and now he’ll never get that second real shot (Jackson was the offensive coordinator in Cincinnati). Now he’ll never know if McCarron could have turned around his 1-23 record in Cleveland.
Winner: Browns Fans
On the other hand, they have avoided the hope and promise that A.J. McCarron surely would have brought to Cleveland.
Loser: Browns Fans
Everyone is laughing at you.
Winner: Ohio
No matter what happened with this trade, they still kept A.J. McCarron.