In-division trades are rare in the NFL, and even more so at the most important position in football. Yet that’s what happened last week when the Cleveland Browns shipped their Week 1 starter Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals. Mike Tomlin had some pointed comments about that deal aimed at the Browns’ GM.
“To be honest, it was shocking to me,” Tomlin said Monday via the Steelers’ YouTube. “Andrew Berry must be a lot smarter than me or us. Because it doesn’t make sense to me to trade a quarterback that you think enough of to make your opening day starter to a division opponent that’s hurting in that area. But that’s just my personal feelings.”
Tomlin wasn’t the only one surprised. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski was too.
The one way to ensure a playoff spot is through winning the division. It’s never a good idea to strengthen an opponent unless you are getting something sizeable in return. In the Browns’ case, that meant swapping a sixth-round pick for a fifth in return. I would hardly call that a worthwhile return.
Imagine a scenario where Aaron Rodgers was injured for the entire season. The AFC North would be even more up for grabs than it already is, and the Browns would have brought the Bengals one step closer to a division crown. It’s not good business. Unless…
What if Flacco has finally reached a steep decline in his play at 40 years old? Though to Tomlin’s point, the Browns did award him the starting job in Week 1 over Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders, and Kenny Pickett. Tomlin doesn’t seem to think that decline has occurred.
“It certainly made sense from Cincinnati’s perspective,” Tomlin said of the trade with a laugh. “He can throw the football, and he’s always been able to throw the football. Arm strength, arm accuracy, anticipatory passer, fluid movement through progressions. That’s always been his game.”
Just a year ago, Flacco carved up the Steelers as the Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback. He completed 16-of-26 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-24 win over the Steelers. He didn’t have gaudy numbers, but he got the ball out quick and executed the game plan at a high level.
He didn’t play a bad game on Sunday just days after joining the Bengals, either. He completed 29-of-45 passes for 219 yards and two TDs.
Maybe the Browns know something the rest of us don’t. But would anybody be surprised if that organization—the same one that gave a record-breaking deal to Deshaun Watson—made another bad decision?
