Browns Trade Myles Garrett to the Rams: What Cleveland’s Reset Actually Means
Cleveland just made the move it has been telegraphing for the better part of a year. Defensive end Myles Garrett has been traded to the Los Angeles Rams in a blockbuster deal that officially closes the book on the Browns’ window with their current core.
The deal, completed on June 1, sent Garrett and a 2027 fifth-round pick to Los Angeles in exchange for a 2026 first-round pick, a 2027 second, a 2027 fourth, and edge rusher Byron Young. That is a heavy package. It is also exactly the kind of haul Cleveland needed to start a real reset.
Let’s start with what this means for the Rams. Sean McVay’s defense just got a player who is a legitimate first-team All-Pro every year he is healthy. Garrett has 102.5 career sacks at age 30. He won the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year award. He is the kind of player who singlehandedly changes how an offense game plans. Pair him with Jared Verse and the Rams suddenly have one of the most fearsome defensive fronts in football.
The cost on the financial side is real. The Rams are taking on the remaining four years and 156 million dollars of Garrett’s contract. That is a heavy commitment for any team, let alone one that already pays Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp top dollar. The Rams clearly believe they have one or two more Super Bowl windows in them with this group, and Garrett is the piece that opens the door.
Now Cleveland. This trade is the end of an era. Garrett was the face of the franchise. He was the 2017 first overall pick. He was the player Browns fans were going to put on Mount Rushmore in 30 years. Trading him is the front office admitting that the Deshaun Watson era was a disaster, that the roster around the quarterback collapse cannot be salvaged in its current form, and that the franchise needs to start over.
The good news for Browns fans is the haul they got. A first in 2026 from a contending team is going to be in the back half of the round, but it is still a first. A second the year after is helpful. Byron Young is a 25-year-old former third-round pick who has shown flashes as a rotational edge rusher and could be a starter in the right system.
The reset path is now clear. Cleveland is going to play out 2026 with what they have on the roster. Kevin Stefanski likely gets one more shot at finding a quarterback. The front office is going to be looking hard at the top of the 2027 draft for a franchise passer. The Garrett pieces help fund that rebuild.
The locker room is going to feel different. Garrett was the leader on defense. He set the tone. Replacing his presence is harder than replacing his sack production. The Browns’ younger players are going to have to grow up fast.
Trades like this are how the NFL works in 2026. Stars get moved when teams have to reset. Garrett’s contract was sustainable for Cleveland only if the team was contending. They are not. The Rams are. The deal makes sense for both sides. The Browns just have a lot harder summer ahead.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
