In a league where blockbuster trades don’t happen often, at least compared to other leagues, the Texans and Browns pulled of a stunner Thursday. The Texans traded quarterback Brock Osweiler and a 2018 second-round pick to Cleveland for the Browns to take Osweiler’s $16 million salary off Houston’s books.
The Texans will also receive Cleveland’s 2017 fourth-round pick in exchange for their own sixth-round selection.
The move saves Houston $16 million in cash and $10 million against their salary cap this season. The extra salary cap space will presumably be used to make a run at Tony Romo when he is traded or released by the Cowboys.
In yet another twist to an unexpected move, the Browns are not committed to keeping Osweiler and will instead try to trade him.
A move like this is arguably unprecedented in the NFL. Teams very rarely trade contracts, as is common in the NBA. But Houston was so desperate to move on from Osweiler that it was willing to trade a second-round pick just to rid itself of Osweiler’s contract.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.