Browns-Bengals swap ditched by paperwork mishap at deadline

CLEVELAND — Clock management hurt the Browns again. And this time, it cost them a quarterback. Failing to get the necessary paperwork to the NFL offices by Wednesday’s 4 p.m. trade deadline, Cleveland’s proposed deal to get Cincinnati quarterback AJ McCarron fell apart in the final minutes, the latest misstep for a team unable to solve its quarterback riddle.

The teams had an agreement in place, sending McCarron to Cleveland for draft picks, but the required documentation — paperwork signed by both clubs — arrived in New York too late, said league spokesman Brian McCarthy.

The Browns have spent much of the past two decades in a failed search to find their franchise quarterback. McCarron might not have been that answer either, but the 27-year-old could have provided leadership and another option while the team develops rookie DeShone Kizer, who has had an uneven first seven starts.

The administrative glitch comes one day after the New England Patriots traded Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2018 second-round pick.

The Browns, who have three second-round picks in next year’s draft, had previous discussions about Garoppolo but were unable to strike a deal.

Jackson’s history with McCarron is what drew the Browns toward the Bengals backup, who made three starts, including one in the playoffs, when Andy Dalton was injured in 2015.