Andrew Buller-Russ
Is this the offseason the Cleveland Browns finally trade Myles Garrett? Those Garrett rumors re-emerge every year. After all, he’s one of the NFL’s best players, yet Garrett’s Browns have been to the playoffs just twice in his nine-year career. He deserves better.
The Browns recently restructured his contract, which, for some reason, brought speculation that Cleveland might be thinking about trading him again. While that isn’t the case, the Browns simply did this to create more cap space, it did get people thinking.
Recently, two NFL analysts from Sports Illustrated, Conor Orr and Albert Breer, stated their case for why the Browns would be better off trading the five-time All-Pro defender.
“My buddy Conor Orr wrote this week that the Browns should trade Myles Garrett, and, as wild as it sounds, I wholeheartedly agree with him. The Browns’ timeline doesn’t really match up with Garrett’s. If you presume the quarterback of the future isn’t on the roster right now—and that’s with all due respect to Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel—then we’re talking about it being 2027 before that guy arrives, and that guy potentially being a rookie then. On top of that, next year, they’d also be dealing with nearly $90 million in dead money assigned to the position, with the cap debt the Browns pushed forward coming due.”
SI’s Albert Breer on Myles Garrett trade
This isn’t the first time Breer has advocated for the Browns to trade their best player. He also previously advised them to deal Garrett at last year’s trade deadline. Obviously, the Browns disagreed.
Garrett, 30, is coming off a record-breaking season with 23 sacks. Despite his advanced age, one could argue that his value has never been higher. If the Raiders could get two first-round picks for Maxx Crosby, what on earth could the Browns get for a player who’s even better?
While most teams in need have already committed to other pass-rushers, there’s always at least one who doesn’t land the draft target they covet. In other words, perhaps a Garrett trade will be revisited later, but our guess is the Browns have already moved past those discussions.
Related: Cleveland Browns Trade Idea Nets Young Pro Bowl Receiver
