It looks like the Browns will be making three quarterback trades this offseason. They are sending Case Keenum to the Bills in exchange for a seventh-round pick, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com.
Cleveland’s stunning Deshaun Watson deal will lead to a full-on reshaping of the team’s QB room. The Browns are expected to follow the Watson and Keenum trades with a Baker Mayfield swap. As of Saturday afternoon, Mayfield remains on the team. The disgruntled former No. 1 overall pick will be elsewhere to start the 2022 season.
The Bills lost 2021 backup Mitchell Trubisky to the Steelers in free agency. Keenum, 33, is now poised to take over as Josh Allen‘s understudy. After receiving starter work with the Vikings, Broncos and Washington from 2017-19, Keenum resettled as a backup in Cleveland, working behind Mayfield for the past two seasons. Keenum led the league in QB DVOA in 2017, piloting Minnesota to the NFC Championship Game, but crashed back to earth in Denver and Washington. He made two starts in Cleveland, both in 2021, with the Browns winning both games.
The Browns are bracing for a Watson suspension, which would thrust Brissett into the spotlight. Given their Watson investment, the Browns are expecting to be a Super Bowl contender soon. Keenum’s replacement will be important to those prospects, regardless if Watson’s suspension hits in 2022 or 2023.
Allen has not missed a start since his 2018 rookie season, which began with the superstar signal-caller on the bench. One season, with a $6.1M base salary, remains on Keenum’s contract. It would not surprise to see the Bills give their new QB2 an extension to reduce his 2022 cap number.
More must-reads: