Cleveland Browns fans' biggest nightmare has come true: Myles Garrett is no longer with the team. General manager Andrew Berry pulled off a league-altering move by sending the reigning Defensive Player of the Year to the Los Angeles Rams.
The Browns got an Ohio native and promising pass rusher in Jared Verse, another 2027 first-round pick, and more draft compensation. That said, everything seems insufficient compared to the single-season sack leader.
However, as tough as things might seem right now, and as much as there's no logical argument to be made about the Browns being a better football team than they were on May 31, this isn't the end of the world.
If anything, the Browns may have done Todd Monken a huge favor with this move.
Todd Monken might actually be better off without Myles Garrett
For months, there were rumors that Garrett was unhappy with Monken being named head coach. He claimed that his cryptic social media activity was in response to Jim Schwartz's departure and it had nothing to do with Monken's hiring, but one was a byproduct of the other.
Garrett skipped OTAs, but that has been his usual process in recent seasons. However, the fact that he couldn't be bothered to meet with his new head coach left plenty to be desired. It felt intentional and disrespectful. That's one fewer controversy and annoying question for the Browns' head coach to have to address this year.
Monken is trying to establish a new culture in the locker room, one that praises accountability, leadership, and no-nonsense. Garrett is obviously a great player — perhaps the best defensive player ever — but he's proven time and time again that he's not a true leader.
Moreover, trading away the team's best player also takes an insane amount of pressure off Monken's shoulders. He needs time and patience to install his offense and let the young players grow through their mistakes. With Garrett no longer in the picture, Browns fans might lower their expectations for the first year of this new era, and they will most definitely cut him some slack.
Of course, this doesn't mean the Browns are in a better position now. Only time will tell if the return will be enough to get Cleveland over the hump, and whether Verse can live up to his superstar potential.
However, Garrett had a no-trade clause in his contract, so he had to sign up for this move. With Andrew Berry constantly shutting down trade speculation, this trade must have come from Garrett's camp as much as it came from the Browns. He wasn't bought in on the new direction, and that was crystal clear from the second his guy — former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz — didn't get the head coaching job.
The Browns have had their fair share of drama, and wiping the slate clean is the best way to finally move forward. Of course, they still have to deal with the Deshaun Watson-Shedeur Sanders saga, but that's a bridge they'll cross later this summer.
This team has been through way too much, and the only way out is to get younger and push forward. They need players committed to the organization and to the process.
Garrett earned the right to play for a Super Bowl contender, and he did a lot for the Browns and the city of Cleveland. He certainly could have handled this situation better. He owed that much to the fans.
Now, as painful as it might be, it's time to turn the page on this chapter and just focus on the guys who are still here and willing to push through to take this team into contention.
Add us as a preferred source on Google