Browns Rumors: Case Keenum Traded to Bills for Pick After Deshaun Watson Trade

The Cleveland Browns are trading veteran quarterback Case Keenum to the Buffalo Bills for a 2022 seventh-round pick, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

The deal comes on the heels of the Browns agreeing to acquire Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans for a package that includes three first-round picks.

In Buffalo, Keenum will replace Mitchell Trubisky as the backup to Josh Allen. Trubisky, who only attempted eight passes with the Bills, left as a free agent this offseason and signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Keenum swiftly fell back to earth following his career year in 2017, when he helped the Minnesota Vikings reach the NFC title game. Since then, he has thrown for 6,105 yards, 32 touchdowns and 21 interceptions while completing 63.1 percent of his passes.

Losing Allen to an injury would be a disaster for the Bills. In Keenum, they'd at least have an experienced pair of hands to guide the offense in a tough spot.

Keenum's departure from Cleveland is somewhat surprising because the Browns' quarterback situation is still in flux, even with the impending addition of Watson.

While he's no longer facing criminal charges, the three-time Pro Bowler is still the subject of 22 civil lawsuits from women who leveled allegations of sexual assault and misconduct against him. A suspension for a portion of the 2022 season isn't off the table.

That heightens the need for the Browns to shore up the quarterback position.

Baker Mayfield is the only other QB on the roster, and Mayfield has requested a trade after making his feelings about the Watson pursuit clear:

The relationship between Mayfield and the Browns appears to have reached a point of no return. Pelissero wrote how the 2018 No. 1 overall pick is "on his way out soon" after reporting the Keenum trade.

But Saturday's trade leaves open the possibility of Cleveland holding on to Mayfield through 2022—he's in the last year of his deal—as its contingency plan should the NFL hand down a suspension to Watson.