Months later, the Myles Garrett trade to the Rams is still the move that reshaped the NFL power structure. The AFC North lost its most dominant defensive player, and the NFC just added a top-three edge rusher to a Super Bowl contender.
Cleveland finally caved and gave Garrett what he wanted after years of the Browns wasting his prime. The organization is officially in full rebuild mode and the return package included multiple first-round picks and useful role players.
The Rams did not blink at the price. Les Snead has been swinging big for years and Garrett is exactly the type of proven superstar Sean McVay’s window needed. Los Angeles is now the clear NFC favorite along with the 49ers.
For Garrett, this is the reset his career needed. He has been the best player on a bad team for so long that the football world has started to forget how truly special he is. That will change when he starts destroying quarterbacks in prime time.
The Browns are staring at the abyss. Deshaun Watson is still on the books, the roster has been gutted, and there is no clear path to contention for the next three seasons at minimum. Cleveland fans have been through this before but it never gets easier.
The AFC North also just got significantly easier for the Ravens, Steelers, and Bengals. Garrett was the guy who wrecked their game plans, and now they do not have to worry about him twice a year.
The Rams pass rush was already scary with Jared Verse coming into his own. Adding Garrett makes them arguably the best defense in the NFC and gives them the tools to actually win a title against the top offenses in the conference.
The bigger takeaway is that superstars will eventually get out of bad situations. Cleveland held on to Garrett as long as they could, but a franchise player with leverage will always find a way to a winner.
Week 1 gives us our first look at Garrett in a Rams uniform. It is going to be must-watch television.
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.
