The Cleveland Browns tried to trade two draft picks to Cincinnati for AJ McCarron at the trade deadline.
Now they can sign him outright.
An arbitrator’s ruling on Thursday made McCarron an unrestricted free agent. As the Browns continue to assess what to do with the quarterback position in light of Alex Smith's being traded to Washington, McCarron has to be a real option. He’s 27. He spent four seasons in Cincinnati and started four games when Hue Jackson was the offensive coordinator. He completed 62 percent of his passes in those games and would have won a playoff game had the Bengals not imploded defensively.