Browns trade QB Case Keenum to the Bills

The Cleveland Browns are trading quarterback Case Keenum to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a seventh-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft.

The transaction was first reported Saturday afternoon by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

The move is far more interesting than this type of minor transaction would normally be given the expectation that newly acquired quarterback Deshaun Watson is facing an NFL suspension linked to the civil lawsuits filed by 22 women who have accused him of inappropriate behavior and sexual assault.

That, along with the upcoming trade of incumbent starting quarterback Baker Mayfield, led to speculation that the Browns would be keeping Keenum around for another season as they need someone other than Nick Mullens to be QB1 this fall if/when Watson is suspended.

Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry was apparently not too keen on the plan, however, so out goes Keenum and it now appears that Berry will turn his attention to a free agent to take over the backup quarterback role.

And that free agent might be Jacoby Brissett, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter:

A third-round selection by the New England Patriots in the 2016 NFL Draft, Brissett has made 37 starts in his NFL career that has taken him from New England to the Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins.

He started 15 games for the Colts in both 2017 and 2019, but Indianapolis did not have a winning season either of those years.

All told, Brissett has thrown for 7,742 yards, 36 touchdowns and 17 interceptions while completing 60.2 percent of his passes.

As for Keenum, he spent the past two seasons with the Browns serving as Mayfield’s backup. He made two starts for the Browns in 2021, beating the Denver Broncos in Week 7 and the Cincinnati Bengals in the season finale.