Browns' ineptitude with McCarron trade a blessing in disguise

The Browns were, once again, the laughingstock of the sporting world Tuesday after a reported miscommunication between Cleveland and Cincinnati quashed an agreed-upon trade involving Bengals quarterback AJ McCarron.

It's admittedly fun to imagine the faces of Cleveland's front-office staff when they realized their error, but the Browns should be feeling relief along with their embarrassment. Messing up is all that saved them from blowing a significant portion of their hard-earned draft capital on a mediocre player.

And mess up they certainly did. The Browns and the Bengals worked out the logistics of the trade with minutes to spare before the 4 p.m. deadline, reports Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.

However, while the Bengals sent their paperwork to the league, the Browns did not - apparently because they thought they could send Cleveland's paperwork to Cincinnati and the Bengals would forward it to the league. When the Browns realized their mistake, it was too late.

So sure, point and laugh, but Cleveland's ineptitude saved it from sending a second- and third-round pick to the Bengals for their backup quarterback - that is, a man who wasn't able to beat out Andy freakin' Dalton.

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

The attempted move was clearly a Hail Mary from head coach Hue Jackson, who helped develop McCarron as the offensive coordinator in Cincinnati. Jackson is well aware his job is on the line if he doesn't rack up a few wins before the end of the season, and McCarron - who knows his system - would have provided a glimmer of hope.

He's also set to become a restricted free agent this offseason, so part of the reason for the staggering price was the fact Cleveland could have used the first-round tender of about $4 million to keep him in 2018, according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.

Even taking that into account, though, the 27-year-old has done little to show he's anything more than a stopgap starter - which means he's certainly not worth two premium picks.

McCarron saw some action in place of an injured Dalton late in the 2015 season. In three out of those four starts, he averaged under than 6 yards per attempt. Cleveland's struggling offense would only amplify his lack of arm strength and questionable decision-making.

Accidentally failing to acquire him allows the Browns to attack the quarterback position in any way they see fit (that actually complies with league rules). They're almost certain to get a top-three draft pick, or they could pursue a quarterback in free agency - though Jackson likely won't be the man to choose the franchise's next savior.

So sure, mock the Browns for passing on Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson, and for missing out on Jimmy Garoppolo. And yes, definitely still laugh at them for not knowing how their own league's trade procedures work.

But, in the end, it's better to be lucky than good. And the Browns got really lucky this time around, despite their best efforts.