The NFL landscape shifted on June 1 when the Cleveland Browns pulled off one of the biggest trades in recent memory. Myles Garrett is heading to the Los Angeles Rams in a blockbuster deal that reshapes both defenses immediately.
The compensation tells the story. The Browns got edge rusher Jared Verse plus a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 third-rounder. That is a legitimate haul for a superstar defensive player. Cleveland is entering full rebuild mode and stocking the cupboard for the future.
Garrett has been one of the best defensive players in football for years. He is a former Defensive Player of the Year. He has generated pressure at an elite rate every single season. Losing him weakens Cleveland’s defense significantly, but the return was too good to pass up.
The Rams get the missing piece. Los Angeles has been aggressive in the defensive line market for years. Adding Garrett next to whatever else they built up front turns their pass rush into a legitimate strength. In a conference with Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix, and other young quarterbacks on the rise, having someone who can consistently create pressure changes what defenses can call.
Verse going the other way is the interesting piece. He was a first-round pick just a couple of years ago. He has real talent as an edge rusher. Cleveland is essentially betting that Verse plus the picks equals more than one year of Garrett would be worth to a team that is not close to contention.
The math might actually work. Cleveland has been in a slow decline for a few years. Deshaun Watson’s contract remains an anchor. The receiving corps is thin. Trading Garrett for future assets is the kind of hard reset a franchise makes when it realizes the current path is not leading anywhere.
For the Rams, this is a clear “win now” move. Matthew Stafford is not getting any younger. Sean McVay is still one of the best offensive minds in football. The window is now, and adding Garrett is exactly the aggressive move a contender makes.
The AFC gets weaker. The NFC gets stronger. That is the summary. Cleveland goes into rebuild mode. Los Angeles becomes an even scarier team to face in January.
Garrett’s contract is the elephant in the room. He is on a massive deal. The Rams are taking on significant salary, which they can afford because Stafford’s contract has been structured to give them cap flexibility.
The trade sets a market too. If Garrett went for that kind of package, other star pass rushers are going to be watching. Contract disputes across the league might get more heated.
Cleveland fans have to be crushed. Garrett was one of the few consistent bright spots on a team that has struggled for identity. Now he is gone. The rebuild is officially on.
Los Angeles just got scarier. The rest of the NFC has been put on notice.
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.
