Call it addition by subtraction. Las Vegas has adjusted the Houston Texans’ NFL football odds of winning the Super Bowl from 40-1 to 20-1 to after trading QB Brock Osweiler to the Cleveland Browns. Okay, fans who bet on NFL games understand that Oz fell way short of expectations in his brief time in Houston but, isn’t sending him to Cleveland just a little too harsh? Sometimes the crime doesn’t fit the punishment. The good news for Mr. Osweiler is that he is likely to spend even less time in Cleveland than he did in Houston.
In good theory, the Browns brass is open to Osweiler injuring himself, err, and compete for the starting QB spot. “We are intent on adding competition to every position on our roster and look forward to having Brock come in and compete,” executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown said. More believably, Brown added that “we’re really excited to acquire a {2018} second-round draft choice in this trade.” According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter’s sources, Cleveland will either trade or release Osweiler before the start of the 2017 season, and have reportedly already been contacted by other teams regarding the former possibility.
In addition to better NFL football odds, the Texans will get a 2017 fourth-round pick. But more importantly, they will $10 million in salary-cap space and $16 million in cash this season. People who bet on NFL games expect Houston to utilize that windfall to sign Tony Romo. The Cowboys are reportedly expected to trade the 36 year old quarterback. “We are committed to bringing a championship to the city of Houston,” Texans general manager Rick Smith said. “The decision to trade Brock was made because it was in the best interest of the team. It frees up both cash and salary cap room to continue to improve our football team.”
The Browns are in full-on rebuilding mode, and they need a QB to build their franchise around. Not just any QB (i.e. Osweiler), though. As it turns out, Cleveland actually has its heart set on Tom Brady’s backup Jimmy Garoppolo, and the Browns are expected to use that extra second-round pick, plus their own 12 overall pick this year, to make sure to land him. The fact that Osweiler is himself a quarterback is beside the point; he threw 15 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 2016 – the Browns already have plenty of underachieving QBs as it is. As Cleveland.com so deftly puts is, “the trade was all about getting the pick and not about the quarterback.” The pick may not be enough, though; according to that same website, the Pats will want Cleveland’s No. 1 overall pick – which will be, barring any unforeseen event, Myles Garrett, whom the Browns are expected to hang on to for dear life. Currently, Cleveland has +30000 NFL football odds of winning Super Bowl 52.
And as for Osweiler, fans who bet on NFL games may wonder? Our hearts go out to him; it’s gotta be hard when not even the Browns want you.