In one of the biggest moves in recent NFL history, the Cleveland Browns traded superstar pass-rusher Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams.
Some weren’t surprised by the move, given that they restructured his contract and pushed for a rule change that would’ve allowed teams to trade first-round picks five years into the future.
However, teams rarely move on from future first-ballot Hall of Famers, especially if they don’t go on the record to request a trade.
The Browns had been openly adamant about moving on from their Defensive Player of the Year. That’s why general manager Andrew Berry had to set the record straight and explain why the sudden change of heart.
Trading Myles Garrett helps the Browns in the long run
“We have long taken the stance that our goal was for Myles Garrett to be a one-helmet player for his entire career,” Berry said (h/t Mike Garafolo). “After rewriting the record books and representing our organization with excellence, we were sincere in that desire as we entered this offseason and did not envision a world where Myles was not a Cleveland Brown.”
However, as much as the Browns wanted to keep Garrett in town, the Rams kept pushing and pushing until finally reaching common ground. For the Browns, this is all about the future:
“When the Rams first approached us with the possibility of trading Myles, we remained convicted in our position, but as discussions intensified we were stuck at a legitimate crossroads: do we hold on to a truly generational player who has become the identity of our team, or do we make the difficult decision that we think is best for the organization over the long run?” he added.
The Browns got a promising star in Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, and a future second and third-round pick. That’s an impressive haul, though it feels like little for a player of Garrett’s caliber.
That said, as much as they claim this trade may have been about the future, and even though Garrett didn’t go on the record to request a trade again after doing it last offseason, there has to be much more to that.
Garrett didn’t even meet with head coach Todd Monken after his appointment. He was visibly bothered when defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz left, and he had a no-trade clause in his contract.
It’s hard to believe he didn’t play a major role in this trade. The Browns had an elite defense, and they would’ve gladly kept Garrett for the remainder of his career if he’d wanted to stay, future assets be damned.
Now, Garrett will finally get to play meaningful playoff games and pursue the ring he deserves, while the Browns get another star pass-rusher and a lottery ticket in the promising 2027 NFL Draft class.
As to whether that was their plan all along, that might be a different story.