Whoa! The Texans are trading quarterback Brock Osweiler and a 2018 second-round pick to the Browns in order to move his $16MM salary off the books, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Facebook link). The deal will also see the Browns’ fourth-round pick go to Houston and the Texans’ sixth-round choice to go Cleveland. The Texans have made the deal official, announcing its completion via press release.
This type of deal rarely goes down in the NFL and is more of an NBA or MLB type of transaction. In this swap, the Browns are absorbing an albatross of a deal in order to acquire significant draft compensation. The wheeling and dealing might not stop here: Cleveland is not committed to keeping Osweiler and is likely to try to trade him, sources tell Schefter.
On the other hand, maybe they’ll keep him. The Browns are expected to move on from Robert Griffin III and the Brock Osweiler acquisition should clear the way for that, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
The move clears out tons of cap space for the Texans who are expected to use that money towards signing Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, Schefter writes. The deal saves $10MM in cap space for the Texans and $16MM in cash.
The Texans signed Osweiler to a four-year, $72MM roughly one year ago today with the hope that he would be their QB of the future. That, obviously, did not work out. Osweiler’s deal calls for him to earn $16MM guaranteed this year. After that, he has $18MM and $17MM non-guaranteed salaries in 2018 and 2019.
The Browns came into this week with upwards of $100MM to spend and Schefter writes that they would have struggled to spend all of it. Still, this seems like a very strange way to utilize that space. The only way this trade would make real sense for the Browns, in my view, is if they already have a final leg of the trade set up in which they deal Osweiler for something else of value. As of this writing, the Browns are spending $16MM in cash to acquire a second-round choice and that is not good business.
Woah!
Aaaaand Jimmy G has nowhere to go.
49ers do doubt Hoyer is the starter Redskins could if they trade Cousins
This actually adds draft capital for the Browns to make a deal… Osweiler is nothing more than a guy who got them a second rd pick
So Romo to Houston then?
Of course the Browns have found their “franchise quarterback”. Pause, not.
They’re getting a second round pick just to take his salary. That’s a huge win for a team with a ton of cap space. Two firsts, two seconds now.
the 2nd is 2018 not this year. However still a good trade either way.
Exactly. Not sure how anyone could see this as a bad move for Cleveland. They were going to suck anyway and he’s essentially on a one year deal
3 second-round picks.
Browns actually now have 2 1st rounders and 3 second rounders.
The 2nd round pick is 2018, not this year.
My bad. I struggle with reading comprehension.
Best comment ever.
Not the way the Browns draft it isn’t. I can’t stop laughing. What a chump move. Good luck unloading Osweiler. I can’t stop laughing.
I’m betting he stays and Griffin goes.
The Browns had over 100 million in cap space. So if they dont like Oswieler they can dump him and will be able to absorb the cap hit.
Its similar to what NBA teams do. For example Bogut got traded to the 76ers which allowed the 76ers reach the NBA salary floor and then he was immediately released.
So as I said the Browns could take the cap hit this year. Then have that money available for next year since it of course the Browns are still 2 years away at the minimum.
This is not an organization that will just eat that much money.
Think Moneyball.
I’ve read that the value of a 2d round pick is around $20-25 million. So it seems like a total moneyball move.
Making room for Romo!
I mean hes better at keeping the bench warm and throwing the ball to the defense than to his receivers
the Texans better hope that Romo can stay helthy
Hopefully he is more healthy than you can spell otherwise the Texans are in a world of hurt
C’mon man really. Smart for Texans. Here they go again Browns making horrible decisions
Getting a 2nd is a horrible decision? Try again
Not horrible for the reasons given above but not exactly brilliant. Just bc the cap space is useless to them doesn’t make it worthless. Clearing 16 mil of dead $ is worth a lot more than a middling 2 to a contender. What would you give up as the Texans to turn $16 mil worth of Osweiler (whom ur too good to let play anyway) into prob $10 mil /yr Tony Romo and an extra 6 mil to spend in FA… id give much more than a 2 if push came to shove
This is actually a move that benefits both teams, Cleveland is rebuilding while the Texans needed to unload Osweiler’s contract, so Cleveland gets an additional high pick next season while Texans get rid of the contract. Cleveland went and signed RG Zietler, C Tretter, WR Britt, and then got another C with starting experience in waivers. They have 11 picks in a deep defensive draft, and they need to fix their defense badly, and still have mllions of dollars to sign a starting CB and S in free agency. All the moves the new FO in Cleveland have made have been very good, He is owed nothing after this season, so the Browns lost nothing by making this move.
The stupidity with this organization. The Browns will never find somebody to trade him to, because they are the only ones dumb enough to take him. Good job keeping the carousel going
Great trade using cap space as an asset
I agree, but what I’m scared of is they will keep him and use him as a starter rather than use one of their picks for a starting QB. I’m thinking in terms of Browns history, and history suggests this is the new starter in Cleveland. If their not going to draft a QB then leave Kessler in. Just not Osweiler
Why trade him? Because some writer suggests that it’s a possibility?
1) He has only one guaranteed year left on his contract.
2) He’s better than RGflee
3) we pick up another 2nd Round pick.
Looks like a great deal to me.
“Let him start. Give him a shot.” – The AFC North
Heyyy looks like jimmyg is staying in NE.
I’ll take him over RGflee any day.
BYE BYE RG3
Who would even take Asswiper in a deal from the Browns now lol? And it seems no team has interest in Kap.
Brock to Denver if they lose out on Romo
(My thumbs down was for NOT bringing Doucheweiller back to Denver) No thanks… His trade was the best news I’ve heard all day. Bye Felicia!!
LOL good move Browns!
Are you saying that Osweiler has absolutely ZERO value as a QB? If he stays in Cleveland he could be the starter. That has value.
Any QB can be a starter. The question is is he a good one or a bad one? And he proved it last year. He had zero value last year
The foot ball gods have bliss the Texans
Low-key a not that bad move by the Browns. Osweiler can be a bridge for a QB that they draft at 12 and they can cut him once that QB is ready to go behind that brand-new top 10 o-line. You don’t mind having a bad QB this next year because you’re probably not going to win anyway. And now they even have 3 second rounders next year.
I’m done with Cleveland to bad my 2nd team is sanfran
In the words of Curly Bill………….well, bye.
HA!! Bye Felicia!!
If this was a historically well-run franchise making this move, people would be raving about how smart the move is. The Browns are essentially getting a 2nd and 6th rounder for a 4th rounder. Cap isn’t a problem for the Browns. What’s the worse that can happen? He plays bad? They cut him? Best case, Osweiler isn’t as bad as he actually is.
Agreed, team is spending on the line and hopefully will invest their draft capital on more building blocks on defense and a year from now they cut Osweiler (if he’s still there) and have a much better situation for a young QB to step in to.
Brownies gonna Brown.
Brock going to be cut
My money’s on RG being cut.
I honestly dont see how this is a bad move. Its not like they are one piece away, the are years away from being even decent, had tons of cap space, and they get more draft picks to build up the talent along the way. Now if only they hit on all these picks so they actually mean something.
This is a great deal! Cut RGIII and save 7.5mil. Pick up Osweiler for a year tryout at 16mil. Net cost 8.5mil and a 4th for a 2nd and 6th rounder.
Who doesn’t make this trade?
Exactly!
Agreed. The only teams who wouldn’t make this trade either have no cap space or don’t have any use for Osweiler.
There’s another possible end game here. If Cleveland drafts a QB they could use Osweiler as a bridge for at least the first part of the year. If he’s performing well and some other team has a QB go down or underperform, Cleveland could move him for more picks. With all the cap room they’d still have left if need be they could take back salary for the rest of the year to make it work under the cap (which of course would cost the other team another pick). Everyone is looking at the worst case scenario as the cost of acquiring the pick and completely ignoring the possible additional upsides.
Anyone slamming the browns for getting a second round pick for giving the Texans salary relief when they’ve already punted this season and have more space than they know what to do with is a moron
Well played CLEVELAND!
Adam Schefter reports teams are already reaching out to the Browns about Brock Osweiler.
This sounds like the Browns leaking a report in an attempt to drum up some interest, but it shows the focus of their trade was not the quarterback. The Browns essentially spent cap space to acquire a second-round pick, and, if this report is true, they might end up not even having to pay all of his $16 million salary. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports the Browns plan to cut Osweiler if they cannot find any takers, which seems like the most likely outcome. Still, this was a great trade for Cleveland.
Source: Adam Schefter on Twitter
Mar 9 – 4:36 PM
The Browns will always suck!!!
They can’t do anything right.
Ooooooh, you’re so wise.
Now the way is clear for the Texans to stun the football world and sign Johnny Manziel!!!!
PERFECT!
Absolutely
Why not? RG3 isn’t going to do it. Maybe, Maybe, they ruin Watson taking him in the 2nd.
You know it’s bad when the team has to give up the player and a 2nd round pick to get rid of a guy.
For those clamoring for Jimmy G do they need to look any further than Osweiler as an example of a small window of experience on a good team leading to high expectations.
Who takes on Cutler. The hapless Jets ?
Last year the Eagles paid 11M in a signing bonus to Sam Bradford, and then got a 1st round pick for him – essentially paying for a pick. The Browns paid 16M for a late 2nd round pick. It was creative, but not the greatest value.
Wow Texan fan here. And it’s a great deal for use couldn’t have been better. But everyone hating on the browns just don’t understand this was a awesome move. Browns have always been my favorite underdog team bravo well done