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Who could land a trade with the Cleveland Browns for Myles Garrett?
A bombshell dropped Monday morning when Garrett formally requested a trade, just a week after general manager Andrew Berry said he wouldn’t trade Garrett this offseason at any price. This will now unlikely unfold in a long and drawn-out battle between Garrett and his agent and the Browns leadership led by Berry.
The Browns technically have the leverage for now. Garrett is under contract for two more seasons at a modest $19.7m cap hit for the upcoming season. Trading teams would get him at a good cost but the Browns would have to eat $36m in dead cap to move him, adding incentive not to do so.
However, superstars typically get what they want. At age 30 and in demand for a monster contract extension, it may be beneficial for the Browns as well to rip off the band-aid and start a rebuild with an excess of assets. Per Tankathon, the Browns already have the most capital in the upcoming draft, so any trade would have to position them well in the future to address the need at quarterback.
Khalil Mack may represent the best precedent for a trade. Mack was traded by the Oakland Raiders after two First-Team All-Pro seasons and a Defensive Player of the Year award, while also in need of a lengthy extension. The Chicago Bears made the move by sending a first round pick in 2019, a first round pick in 2020, and an additional third rounder and sixth rounder, receiving Mack in return as well as a second and seventh. However, at the time Mack was two years younger and four seasons lighter than Garrett is currently, so an unprecedented haul won’t be realistic.
The teams be aligned to make the move for Garrett will need good draft assets over the next two seasons, plentiful cap space to extend him, and the championship window that he’s looking for. Garrett does not have a no-trade clause on his deal, but if he weren’t to agree to an extension with a trading team they’d be far more weary of spending up for him.