Loser: Osweiler finds out just how much he’s not wanted
It’s unclear exactly what will happen to Osweiler, who as we mentioned before could either be released outright, traded or allowed to compete for a roster spot.
There are a couple of clear indicators that both the Texans and Browns have placed a minuscule value on him as a player, however. First off, Houston hardly got anything in return to simply offload his salary. That was the only real reason to do the deal, especially considering they actually lost value in terms of draft currency in the deal.
“It’s hard to remember in the salary-cap era another team when a team traded a contract to get it off its books. But Houston was so anxious to rid itself of Osweiler and move on to its next quarterbacking chapter that it is giving Cleveland extra picks to take him and his contract,” wrote ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Then there’s the fact that, when addressing the trade itself, Browns Executive Vice President of Football Operations Sashi Brown mentioned Osweiler as almost an afterthought.
In Browns statement announcing trade, Sashi Brown goes nearly 50 words before mentioning Brock Osweiler. pic.twitter.com/xT7SQXP8Ap
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 9, 2017
In the end, Osweiler is laughing all the way to the bank. Whether the Browns keep him or cut him, they’re on the hook for his $16 million salary, which is fully guaranteed. Still, it can’t feel good to know you were traded for peanuts just so that your team could, in a sense, take out the trash.