Cleveland, OH (92.3 The Fan) – An AFC North nemesis of the Browns is headed west.
Quarterback Joe Flacco is being traded by the Baltimore Ravens to the Denver Broncos according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The trade can’t be completed until the new league year begins on March 13 at 4 p.m. eastern.
The trade agreement comes a day after Steelers receiver Antonio Brown took to social media to say goodbye to Pittsburgh after nine seasons. Brown has reportedly demanded a trade paving the way for a potential power shift to the Browns within the division.
Flacco went 17-3 against the Browns over 11 seasons that saw him complete 61.5 percent of his passes for 4,638 yards with 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. In those 20 games Flacco had an 87.9 rating.
The impending trade clears the way for the Ravens to turn the reigns over to quarterback Lamar Jackson, selected 32nd overall in the 2018 NFL draft following a trade with Philadelphia.
Jackson, who went 6-1 in the regular season as a rookie, helped beat the Browns in Week 17 in Baltimore 26-24. He completed 14 of 24 passes for 179 yards while rushing 20 times for 90 yards and two touchdowns.
The Browns ended the 2018 season by winning five of their last seven games to finish 7-8-1, their best mark in 11 years and are considered a team on the rise thanks to quarterback Baker Mayfield, the top pick of the 2018 draft.
With Flacco and Brown’s impending departures combined with Marvin Lewis being replaced in Cincinnati, the AFC North will have a much different look to it in 2019.
