If the Cleveland Browns think it can still compete and contend in the AFC North after its 1-6 start and after losing its QB1 to an Achilles injury, it would probably be wrong.
This is no knock on HC Kevin Stefanski's capabilities, or on Jameis Winston's ability to maybe, possibly, lead some ridiculous push up to the bye week in Week 10 and then after that, too. But, this is just a knock on the hole the team has found itself in. And, it's time to face that hole and reality - the season is basically lost barring an absurd comeback against a very tough schedule.
This all put in the air, the Browns are also approaching the trade deadline. On Nov. 5, Cleveland will likely have taken on an entirely new look. Stacking draft picks and taking on cheaper contracts will be key ahead of 2025 for the club, and the best way to ensure it's success on that front is pulling the trigger on a big trade.
So, of course, why not throw Myles Garrett into a very wild trade idea?
That's exactly what Bleacher Report did after Week 7, naming four total trades that Cleveland couldn't look away from involving Garrett. One very wild trade proposed in this article? Trading Garrett to the Atlanta Falcons for its current backup quarterback, rookie Michael Penix Jr.
Let's just start here - the Falcons make sense as a trade partner with the Browns. The team is desperate for pass rushing, and the Browns are desperate for compensation in exchange for its plethora of very talented pass rushers. But, when thinking of players to ship off to the A, Za'Darius Smith feels more like the target than Garrett.
But, now the Browns are in a different spot than it was three days ago. The team could use a bonafide, potential starting QB of the future to backup Jameis Winston for the rest of the season, and that could also prevent the team from having to use a big pick in 2025 on an unproven quarterback but instead on an offensive lineman.
Penix Jr. has yet to see any real NFL action, backing up a seemingly indestructible Kirk Cousins for the Falcons. The former University of Washington star was taken eighth overall by Atlanta in the 2024 NFL Draft after leading the Huskies to an undefeated season and the college football National Championship game. Penix Jr. has been presumably developing behind Cousins, and would already be used to acting as backup in the NFL if sent over to Cleveland.
Garrett would also win out in this trade, being sent to a contending team and acting as a veteran anchor to a defense in need of some leadership and direction. This trade proposal also includes some interesting draft compensation, like the Browns receiving another 2025 first rounder in addition to a fourth rounder next year, and two later round 2026 picks.
While Garrett isn't tied to any big money in 2025 - he's just due for another contract in 2026 - he contributes to a sizable cap hit. The Browns can continue to restructure his contract, just as the team did with Amari Cooper before trading him and just as many teams do to manipulate the cap hit that big name players contribute to, but continuing to drag Garrett along for a never ending nightmare of a ride that Cleveland's been on for years is starting to feel unfair.