From the moment that Myles Garrett announced he had requested a trade from the Cleveland Browns, there was a rather large contingent of individuals who believed he had no leverage and would not be traded.
While it is true that he is under contract for two more seasons and does not include a no-trade clause, in addition to the financial impact of his deal being hard to navigate for the Browns, assuming that he has no cards to play would be incredibly misguided.
Garrett has already begun working the angles available to him, from specifically taking a shot at Browns general manager Andrew Berry in his trade request to going on a publicity tour during the Super Bowl festivities in New Orleans as a way to make sure that everyone paying attention knows he is serious about him wanting out of Cleveland.
But now that the Super Bowl is in the rearview mirror, what other steps could Garrett take?
Myles Garrett's leverage with trade request
Of course, Garrett could crank things up a notch when it comes to his media appearances, pulling the curtain further back as to just how the Browns operate.
It is pretty safe to assume that some information that is yet to see the light of day would make people understand the manner in which things are run internally, and that could, in turn, provide a very different perception of the organization.
Should the Browns continue to be defiant in accommodating Garrett's request with him remaining on the roster once the season approaches, there are a few routes to take. Garrett skipping voluntary minicamp and OTAs could be the beginning of a very public and ugly standoff.
This could very well continue into the preseason and maybe even the regular season. His absence would be a weekly storyline the Browns would not be able to run away from, with each and every person having some level of responsibility having to answer questions about it on a weekly basis.
Read more: Browns predicted to trade Myles Garrett to up and coming NFC team
There is still one last card for Garrett to play if the Browns remain steadfast in their refusal to facilitate a trade: threaten retirement. This is extreme, but what better way to send a message to Cleveland's front office by telling him he would rather not play at all than play for the Browns?
This tactic has been used before, most notably by Carson Palmer, to get out of Cincinnati. Like Palmer before him, Garrett has a life-changing amount of money to his name and does not necessarily need to continue playing if he no longer wants to.
When presented with the option of "trade me and get something for me or get nothing all," wouldn't it be in Cleveland's best interests to trade Garrett rather than be stubborn for the sake of being stubborn?
The threat of retirement from Garrett can also be used in another matter. If the Browns do come to their senses and trade Garrett but to a non-contending team, he could play the retirement card to ensure he gets somewhere he truly wants to go.
This approach was famously used by Rob Gronkowski when the New England Patriots attempted to trade him to the Detroit Lions. Gronkowski forced New England to keep him, as Detroit would have no interest in trading for a retired player. Garrett can do the exact same thing if the Browns try to trade him to one of the league's less competitive franchises.
By now, it should be clear that the Browns do not possess an unlimited amount of leverage over Garrett. Cleveland's front office is more limited than people think, and Garrett can make things incredibly difficult for them rather easily. It is not the preferred method for all parties involved, but do not be surprised if any of the methods mentioned here end up happening.
Garrett has made it clear that his time in Cleveland is over. The Browns should do the right thing and accommodate his request before Garrett deploys any of these scorched earth tactics, bringing an end to this saga and entering the next part of their rebuild process.