Another AFC North deal falls through, as Browns reportedly nix A.J. Epenesa signing due to failed physical

Baltimore backed out of the Maxx Crosby trade last month due to a similar issue

The Cleveland Browns will not be signing former Buffalo Bills pass rusher A.J. Epenesa to a new contract, as the team was uncomfortable with what they found during his physical, per ESPN. Epenesa was expecting a one-year deal worth up to $5 million, but he will instead return to free agency.

Epenesa missed just one game last season, and recorded 32 combined tackles, 2.5 sacks, four passes defensed and two interceptions. A former second-round pick out of Iowa, Epenesa has spent his entire career with the Bills, and recorded 24 sacks in 91 career games played with 19 starts.

The Epenesa deal falling through feels more notable this offseason, because one of the stories of the year has to do with a failed physical and a team going back on their word. Just last month, the Baltimore Ravens pulled out of their agreement with the Las Vegas Raiders to trade two first-round picks for star pass rusher Maxx Crosby. 

It was reported that the Ravens found something concerning during Crosby's in-person physical. The team knew that Crosby had a meniscus repair conducted earlier this offseason, but ESPN reports that the franchise had questions about Crosby's durability in the years to come because of a degenerative issue in his knee.

Revisting the Crosby drama

The Raiders broke the news themselves on the evening of March 10, publishing a short statement that simply said the Ravens backed out of their trade agreement. Immediately, those around the NFL world speculated that Baltimore experienced buyer's remorse and regretted agreeing to the price of two first-round picks. One general manager even told NFL Media's Tom Pelissero, "This is very much bullshit on Baltimore's part." That noise was only amplified when the Ravens agreed to terms with former Cincinnati Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson on a four-year, $112 million deal just hours later. 

Crosby recounted his short time in Baltimore during a taping of his podcast, and said the energy was a "bit off" when he met his new coach Jesse Minter. 

"I dap him up, and I can just tell, the energy was a little bit off, and the GM was standing in the hall, in the room next to me to the right," Crosby said. "And that was the first time I had seen him. In my head, this is a whirlwind, I'm so excited, like, fired up, you know what I mean? This is a new opportunity, and you could just tell the energy was off. I dapped him up, he had a blank face."

It was only when Crosby finally got to meet with general manager Eric DeCosta that he found out he was not going to be a Baltimore Raven.

"I go into the room, they sit me down on the couch, and he's like, 'Man, I don't know how to say this, but one of our doctors has concerns with the results or whatever, with your knee,'" Crosby said. "'Some of them are concerned about the future, da, da, da, da. Um we really want you, and this is what it is, but, you know, we're just gonna have to get more and more opinions.'"

When DeCosta addressed Baltimore's heel turn in the following days, he appeared genuinely upset that his team had to cancel the trade.  

"We were really excited about adding Maxx, potentially adding Maxx to our team," DeCosta said. "I had already begun discussions with John Spytek, those discussions continued, we were really thinking that we were getting some traction. We did. As part of the normal trade process, there were a lot of different parts with the trade process, we've done a lot of trades. One of the key things is you bring a player in and try to get as much information as you can. We were not able to complete the process of trading for the player, based on our assessment of the situation."

Crosby's agent, CJ LaBoy, and his surgeon, the famous Dr. Neal ElAttrache, both maintain that Crosby is on track in his recovery and will continue to be the special quarterback terror that he has been for the past seven years. As for Crosby, whatever beef he had with his franchise was quickly squashed, as he took this turn of events as a sign he was always meant to be a Raider.  

While Epenesa's contract falling through is not as dramatic as the Crosby situation, this offseason has been an important reminder that every NFL transaction -- whether a trade or free-agency signing -- is not official until that player passes a physical with his new team.