In a somewhat surprising turn of events, the Cleveland Browns have traded their best player. Myles Garrett will play for the Los Angeles Rams, while Ohio native Jared Verse will head back home to be the team's next franchise pass rusher.
Some might think the Browns got insufficient value in return for their future Hall of Famer, but Cleveland clearly valued Verse as another first-round pick (an potentially more). He's entering Year 3 of his rookie contract, won't be extension eligible until 2027, and he's been one of the best young players at the position since he entered the league.
However, as much as getting Verse to Cleveland was a major part of this trade, landing an additional first-round pick in the stacked 2027 NFL Draft was also crucial. Now, the Browns finally have a clear path to land their quarterback of the future.
The Browns could reap the benefits of trading Myles Garrett in 2027
Over the past couple of years, the Browns have added a strong core of young stars on both sides of the ball. They now have Quinshon Judkins, Carson Schwesinger, Mason Graham, Harold Fannin Jr., Jared Verse, KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston, Spencer Fano, and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. That's nine starters with two or fewer years of NFL service time.
However, unless Shedeur Sanders beats out Deshaun Watson this summer and ascends to undeniable heights, Cleveland still needs its quarterback of the future. What the Browns do have is two first-round picks — and 11 selections total — to work the board next April and move up to get the player they covet in one of the most promising quarterback classes in recent NFL history.
Perhaps getting their hands on a prospect like Arch Manning is off the table, given his family's history of pulling strings to get players to the family's desired destinations. That said, they could still be in play for potential star talents like Dante Moore, Julian Sayin, C.J. Carr, LaNorris Sellers, Drew Mestemaker, Trinidad Chambliss, Darian Mensah, or whoever else emerges this fall.
Of course, that's not to say the Browns had to trade Garrett to do this. They've been stockpiling assets in 2027 for this very reason. General manager Andrew Berry hinted that the team could be more aggressive next offseason and would have the draft capital and the assets to do so.
Jared Verse might not be Myles Garrett. But with Garrett and Watson coming off the books over the next year or two, and the Browns' young core still on rookie contracts, the Browns will be in a position to go big in free agency. Add a pair of extra future Day 2 draft picks to the mix, and this team may flip Garrett into at least five starters. The return could be fruitful so long as fans are willing to give the team time to develop and jell.
Trading away the face of the franchise is not ideal, but it could have been much worse. This trade could end up being a blessing in disguise.
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