The Browns weren’t going to sign AJ McCarron after acquiring Tyrod Taylor from the Bills. But Browns coach Hue Jackson gave McCarron a plug to Bills General Manager Brandon Beane.
“I actually spoke to Hue Jackson the night before we signed him, texted with two other coaches of his that I know,’' Beane said in a press conference Friday, via quotes distributed by the team. “And the one word they told me about AJ that got me fired up was ‘competitor,’ and I love that.
“This guy has an edge to him. He’s been backing up Andy Dalton, who’s their franchise guy. He filled in I believe four games, should’ve won a playoff game, had an unfortunate fumble, but they were down 15-0, I believe in the fourth, and he brought them back, made a big throw to A.J. Green. We watched every throw of his and what he did and thought he did some real good things. Thought he’s got upside and that’s what he’ll do.’'
The Browns botched a trade for McCarron at the trade deadline October 31. Jackson was the Bengals’ offensive coordinator when McCarron went 2-2 in 2015 as the starter for an injured Dalton.
But when they had a chance to acquire him in free agency, the Browns instead traded for Taylor.