Report: Browns were trading 2nd, 3rd-round picks for McCarron

The Cleveland Browns were prepared to give up even more for A.J. McCarron than the San Francisco 49ers did for Jimmy Garoppolo, according to a report.

Cincinnati.com’s Jim Owczarski says the Browns were willing to trade a 2nd and 3rd-round pick to the Cincinnati Bengals for McCarron. A day earlier, the Niners traded a second-round pick to New England for Garoppolo.

The deal ultimately did not go through because of a paperwork issue. Cincinnati.com says the Browns did not get their paperwork into the league prior to the 4:00 p.m. deadline.

There is also confusion about who sent in paperwork and who didn’t, Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reports.

Another league source said the Browns sent a signed document to the Bengals and expected them to also sign it and send it to the NFL. But a Bengals spokesman told cleveland.com that the Bengals never received any paperwork from the Browns and that they executed their end of the bargain, and that the league office confirmed that they did.

In the end, the Browns still do not have a true quarterback of the future, while the Bengals will hang onto their solid backup. Maybe time will show that the Browns were better off not making the trade anyhow.