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Browns Send Myles Garrett to the Rams for Jared Verse and Picks
By Matt Schultz
Published:
The Eagles were rumored to be in trade talks for Myles Garrett early on Monday afternoon, before the A.J. Brown trade finally went official. Then this happened:
Damn… I’ll be honest, here. Cards on the table: I got tricked into thinking the Birds were going to land Garrett. Rumors about packages built around A.J. Brown or Jalen Carter were making the rounds and, like a dumbass, I took the bait. The problem is I was in too good of a mood. It’s June. Weather’s perfect. I had a good coffee buzz going. I had hope. I was naïve… and that’s why I got hurt…
In my defense, though, even though Adam Schefter reported he wasn’t hearing anything substantial about an Eagles/Browns deal on Monday, that’s exactly what he would say right before Howie Roseman came off the top rope with a mega trade:
But sadly, it was the Rams who got the deal done – by operating how Eagles fans think the Eagles operate, and doing it way better. According to reports, the Rams have been calling the Browns about Garrett for months – even as Cleveland repeatedly told them the best DE in the league wasn’t available – and today, LA finally got their guy. Credit where it’s due: the Rams know how to get a big-ass splashy trade across the finish line. Feels like they do a version of this every year – which isn’t to say they fleeced the Browns. Los Angeles is paying a hefty price in a package built around former Defensive Rookie of the Jard Verse.
Verse is only 25 years old with just two NFL seasons under his belt after the Rams took him in the first round in 2024. The young outside linebacker is still developing and is already projected as a potential superstar. Throw in a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-rounder, and a third-round pick in 2029, and Cleveland got an admirable return. Plus, when you factor in Garrett’s age (30, going to be 31 in December), and remember that Verse is a dog, the Browns could’ve done a lot worse. They could win this trade if Verse reaches his ceiling and they hit on a few of these picks.
But there’s no talking around the fact that the Rams just got an absolute game-breaking player in Garrett – who’s coming off an absurd 23-sack season in 2025 – and that it’s a pretty tough pill to swallow for Birds fans. Clearly, Garrett was available, which means Howie could’ve pried him loose for the right price.
Bonus end to the blog
Lot of good posts about this trade. Here are some I enjoyed:
Matt Schultz is a comedy and sports writer from Philadelphia. He’s written extensively for ClickHole, The Onion, and Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco. His work has been featured in Vulture, Deadspin, The A.V. Club, Paste Magazine, and other publications. Much of his sports journalism can be found on college basketball websites that don’t exist anymore (PhilaHoops Heads rise up…)