The trade that always seemed possible, but at the same time never seemed quite likely, finally happened.
The Browns are trading away two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams. They’re getting back what looks like rising star in 25-year-old Jared Verse from the Rams, along with a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick.
History will judge how the trade ultimately plays out for the Browns, Garrett and the Rams. Since there’s no crystal ball in place to show what the future will hold, we’re left only to reflect in the moment about what it all means.
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That’s what we’ll do with the following takeaways, as we talk through our thoughts after the Browns dealt the second-best player in franchise history ― all due respect to Joe Thomas ― after Jim Brown.
Myles Garrett trade was right move for Cleveland Browns for right now
The Browns made the right move. You can quibble with the return, or why they didn’t do it a year ago, but the decision to make the move at this stage in the rebuild was correct.
It’s been obvious since the months after the 2024 season that the Browns were pivoting to a rebuilding situation. Whether it was pride or hubris or whatever that prevented them from just saying the quiet part out loud is for them to figure out.
Maybe the Browns should’ve moved Garrett when he demanded the trade before the Super Bowl in February 2025. Maybe the return just wouldn’t have been as good.
Regardless, it’s a credit to the Browns for finally realizing the obvious. Their window for contention with the group they’re currently putting together is in 2027, at the earliest, or 2028.
Would Garrett still been in his prime at that time? Maybe. Could Verse be just entering his prime at that time? There’s a very good chance.
Myles Garrett joins Jim Brown, LeBron James as Cleveland ‘Holy Trinity’
Brown, LeBron James and Garrett. That’s the list.
Those three, of all the great players who have passed through the city of Cleveland over the years, stand alone at the top. It’s not just their accomplishments that place them there, but also their abilities that separate them from the rest.
Brown, James and Garrett weren’t just sensational athletes. They were unique in their abilities in ways their own peers weren’t. They were unicorns in their times.
Ask anyone who watched Brown run the ball in the 1950s and 1960s and they will talk of seeing something they had never seen before at the running back position. We’re still trying to grasp just what James has done as he continues to play at a high level in the NBA despite being 41 years old.
Garrett, meanwhile, has been the one so many around the NFL point to as the generational talent who breaks offensive coordinators’ brains trying to figure out how to block him. The bend, the size, the explosiveness all set him apart, and elevate him into a stratosphere very few can climb.
Jared Verse is a very good piece to be getting in return
Verse has 12.5 sacks in just two seasons in the NFL. He also has an NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award and two Pro Bowl selections.
If you’re going to find an heir apparent for Garrett among the young players in the league, Verse is a very good find. Maybe even a great find.
Look, no one’s going to completely fill the shoes of one of the greatest pass rushers in NFL history, which is what Garrett will be by the time all is said and done. Verse, especially in a defensive scheme that specializes in letting the defensive line attack, has a chance to at least ease a little bit of the pain in losing an all-time great.
More important than anything is that Verse’s career trajectory aligns with the trajectory of so many of the other young players on the Browns roster from the 2025 and 2026 draft classes.
Denzel Ward doesn’t necessarily have to be traded right now
It will definitely be interesting to hear what five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward has to say about trading Garrett, who entered the league a year before the Nordonia High School product did. Just as important will be what Ward has to say about his own future.
Ward hasn’t been at the voluntary offseason program for the Browns, although he told the Beacon Journal and three other outlets at his youth camp May 27 it was only because of a busy offseason spent traveling. June 9 is the start of mandatory minicamp, which will be when Ward has to show up or face fines.
What the Browns don’t have to do, at least not right now, is make Ward the next high-profile trade piece. It appears they’re not there yet anyway, with the organization essentially saying it’s a hard no on dealing him right now.
Clearly, if the season starts out the way some expect it to start, it could open the door to a deadline deal. That’s something for the Browns to contend with then, not now.
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Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ. Sign up for Browns Insider newsletter at https://profile.beaconjournal.com/newsletters/browns-insider/
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 4 thoughts on Browns trading Myles Garrett, from timing to return to legacy
Reporting by Chris Easterling, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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