Report: Browns for some reason interested in LB NaVorro Bowman

The San Francisco 49ers unexpectedly released veteran linebacker NaVorro Bowman on Friday, and there’s a report the Cleveland Browns may have been, or are still interested in signing him.

Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reported Cleveland’s interest in Bowman, amongst other teams:

But, why?

The question I have is pretty simple. Why would a winless team, which is seemingly incapable of winning, be looking for an interior linebacker at this point in their season? Building for the future, perhaps? Unlikely. Bowman is 29 years old, will be 30 in May, and he doesn’t fit the team’s tear-down approach to roster construction.

Maybe some executives are getting desperate in Berea, Ohio — like head coach Hue Jackson, who benched rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer for unheralded backup Kevin Hogan — and acquiring a high profile player like Bowman would give them some credit for trying to improve their roster midseason. After all, they easily would have had enough draft capital and cap space to pull off the deal with the 49ers.

But it’s moot point now that he’s been released. Any interest the Browns had in him will surely vanish, and if it doesn’t, it’ll go unreciprocated. As a free agent Bowman now gets to choose his landing spot, as opposed to being shipped to the Browns — likely kicking and screaming — in a deal for draft picks.

Bowman’s already visiting the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys this week, and is allegedly aiming to have a deal done by Wednesday so he can return to the field pretty quickly.

The Browns are obviously not a team he’s looking to sign with, so don’t expect to hear about potential meetings this week between the two sides.