Report: Saints tried unique sign-and-trade with Browns to try to land Clowney

The New Orleans Saints made a unique last-ditch attempt to land free-agent pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney before he ultimately chose to sign with the Tennessee Titans Saturday night, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport.

The Saints, who are hard up against the cap, discussed a deal involving a third team signing Clowney to a one-year, $15-million deal and paying his $5 million signing bonus. That team would then flip the player to New Orleans in exchange for a second-round pick and another player to clear cap room, leaving the Saints on the hook for Clowney's remaining $10 million.

The Cleveland Browns are the alleged third team, according to Pelissero and Rapoport.

The Saints deemed the workaround necessary to compete with the one-year, $15-million deal the Titans offered to Clowney.

But late Saturday night, the NFL intervened and passed along word that the sign-and-trade would not be approved.

"Fundamentally, you can't trade cash," a league executive told the NFL Network duo.

In the end, Clowney agreed to sign with the Titans and boarded a plane to Nashville.