In a little over a calendar year, Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrettrequested a trade, signed a contract extension, broke the single-season sack record, adjusted his contract in a way that allowed for a trade, and was traded to the Los Angeles Rams. For the Browns, the future is the focus, including talented NFL draft classes in 2025 and 2026.

Cleveland GM Andrew Berry has 11 draft picks to work with in what is expected to be an uber-talented NFL draft class in 2027. Our Browns mock draft saw QB Arch Manning turning in one orange uniform for another.

Shortly after 4 PM, the team announced the Garrett trade, making it official. The timing is vital as the trade will technically process on June 2nd for salary cap purposes. In a lengthy statement, Berry made it clear the type of back and forth the team had in making the decision to move on from Garrett:

“We have long taken the stance that our goal was for Myles Garrett to be a one-helmet player for his entire career,” Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager Andrew Berry said in a statement. “After rewriting the record books and representing our organization with excellence, we were sincere in that desire as we entered this offseason and did not envision a world where Myles was not a Cleveland Brown.

“When the Rams first approached us with the possibility of trading Myles, we remained convicted in our position, but as discussions intensified we were stuck at a legitimate crossroads: do we hold on to a truly generational player who has become the identity of our team, or do we make the difficult decision that we think is best for the organization over the long run?

“In that framework, the decision became clear, although our emotions were muddled. We, and more importantly, our fans, have grown up with Myles, and he’s an enormous source of pride for our team. However, as we embark on a new era of Browns football with a young core and a replenished asset base, we felt this move was important to our transition.

“Chief among the considerations to make the decision was the inclusion of Jared Verse – a player our fan base will love. At 25 years old with two Pro Bowls and a Defensive Rookie of the Year award under his belt, we receive a young, elite player at a premium position who will only continue to improve in his third NFL season. Jared’s passion and relentless style of play will be embraced by our fans. He will fit right in with the established identity of our defense. We couldn’t be more pleased to welcome him to the Dawg Pound!

“We recognize the unexpected nature of this trade, but it opens up great opportunities for our franchise. We are excited to welcome Jared into the organization, along with the cap flexibility and draft pick resources to deploy to the rest of the roster that will allow us to add to our budding core on both sides of the ball.”

Owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam also shared their thoughts on the trade:

“Myles Garrett has been the best player on our team and one of the best defensive players in the history of the game, since we drafted him in 2017,” Managing and Principal Partners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a statement. “His legacy is immense and we could never adequately articulate our appreciation for how he played the game and for being the best player he could be for the Cleveland Browns over the last nine years. He has left a deep imprint on our franchise, with our fans and with the Dawg Pound.

“Clearly this was not an easy decision, particularly with Myles because we’ve watched him come into our organization and grow like a member of our family. Trading Myles was never our intent, but we also recognize that certain opportunities demand serious consideration, and we believe this is the right move for our team. Adding a young defensive star like Jared Verse, along with valuable draft assets, are necessary to strengthen a talented young core and align with the youth of our team. Our goal continues to be building a consistently winning franchise that our fans and this region deserve, and we believe this move creates the best path towards that.

“We met with Myles on Saturday and told him we are extremely grateful for all that he contributed to our team and to our community and that he will always be a Cleveland Brown. We look forward to welcoming him back at the appropriate time and wish him and his family only the best.”

What do you think of Berry’s explanation for the tradeand the Haslams’ thoughts?