Myles Garrett first raised eyebrows on a potential exit strategy out of Cleveland when he suggested that he could see himself playing elsewhere late into the 2024 campaign. Now those words have become the Browns new reality as the reigning NFL AP Defensive Player of the Year has officially requested a trade.
Garrett made his intentions known via a statement released via the NFL Network on Monday morning. It comes just days after Browns general manager Andrew Berry made it clear at the Senior Bowl that the team wouldn’t entertain any offers for Garrett this offseason. Those comments followed his stance during his end of season press conference that they envisioned Garrett taking a direct path from Cleveland to Canton.
From Garrett’s perspective, that road appears to be closed as the star pass rusher officially wants out. In the aftermath of the public request, a Browns spokesperson has made it clear that the team has no intention of moving Garrett. That sets the stage for things to potentially get ugly as this saga plays out.
There has been plenty of speculation since Garrett’s initial comments during the season about what type of return he would net in a trade. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini has provided some legitimate insight into what a potential trade package would look like for the Browns.
Based on her conversations with an NFL GM, Russini reveals that Garrett could net a first and second round pick, or a first and two thirds. She also rules out the wishful “three first round picks” scenario many Browns fans may be hoping for.
While draft capital is always valuable to NFL teams, the return Russini floated is certainly lackluster for a player of Garrett’s caliber. Perhaps that’s why Berry and the Browns are playing hardball to drive up the price. Only time will tell if Cleveland will follow through on Garrett’s request and what the organization will net in return.
