The Browns. Just when you think they can’t be more Browns, they somehow manage to top themselves. The longer the Browns are the Browns, the more I’m inclined to think the Browns actually are performance art.  If in the course of this Kaepernick case it is revealed that the NFL is partially scripted and the Browns function as a comedy option, I will be entirely unsurprised. There is always more, and it is somehow always worse. How do you do this, Browns?

Quick recap: Browns and Bengals apparently have a trade in place for AJ McCarron, the Bengals backup QB and general douchenozzle looking dude. It was a 2nd and a 3rd rounder from 2018 for AJ. The Browns, somehow, did not file the paperwork either on time or correctly and supposedly celebrated the trade. The trade did not happen in time to meet the deadline, and the trade never happened. The Browns don’t get AJ McCarron the Bengals don’t fleece the Browns out of two high picks, and the only person likely happy in the whole mess is AJ Himself, because would you want to go to the Browns?

There are a lot of different reports. None of them paint the Browns in any positive light. Either the Browns are grossly incompetent and fucked up a trade, or they are infighting. If the Browns messed up the trade due to incompetence, they are complete morons. What seems more likely are the reports that some people in the Browns FO were unhappy with the trade and purposefully nixed it against the wishes of those who wanted it, which paints a portrait of a team at odds with itself. You don’t want either of these scenarios. You don’t want a stupid team, and you don’t want a team fighting internally.

Honestly the Browns might be better off in the end talent-wise. AJ McCarron is a complete unknown and was only a 5th round pick to begin with. No way he’s worth a 2nd and a 3rd with his current resume. Jimmy Garoppolo only got a 2nd rounder in exchange for him, and Jimmy’s short time as a starter looked brighter than McCarron’s. Also McCarron looks like a douchenozzle. That doesn’t affect his playing ability, but he does. On top of that, what happens if he does go to Cleveland? He’s a stop gap at worst, the Browns season is over. This reeks of Hue Jackson realizing “the process” won’t save his job if he can’t win a game so he’s going out trying to do anything to get a spark. Someone with faith in the process would have started basically every QB on the roster in desperation by now, but he has.

Anyway, AJ gets to collect that sweet backup cash for a bit longer without having to prove himself before free agency overpays him. Basically everybody wins here except maybe the Bengals, who could have gotten two good picks. The Browns won by failing so hard at a stupid move that they probably won in the end. Jesus christ, Browns. My god.

Lastly, unrelated, but it was nice to see my Houston comic from Tuesday proved prophetic. 4 days later and the Astros are world champions as DeShaun Watson died a horrible screaming death.