Browns Analyst Says Myles Garrett Trade Timing Was Perfect

The clock officially struck midnight for the Cleveland Browns this offseason. After several scares with Myles Garrett nearly leaving the team, the front office finally made the move to send him off to another team.

This move instantly led to mixed feelings not only among Browns fans but also among fans across the league. On the one hand, the Browns received a ton of draft capital and solid players in return, so the return on investment could turn out heavily in their favor. On the other hand, they just offloaded Garrett, who is coming off his best season, where he broke the single-season record for sacks.

Analyst and Browns fan Jeff Phelps was a big advocate for this move, as he mentioned on 92.3’s The Fan.

“I honestly think the Browns made a great move for the future of their franchise by trading Myles while he still had great value. I would assume he still has great value for a couple more years. Your magic number in football, especially for the Browns, starts with a 3. When you get to the number, your value goes down each and every year, and I think the Browns, if you needed to move on from Myles, good for the Browns, and good for Myles if this is what he wants. I don’t have ill will about that,” Phelps said.

"I honestly think the Browns made a great move for the future of their franchise by trading Myles while he still had great value. Your magic number in football, especially for the Browns, starts with a 3…when you get to the number, your value goes down each and every year."

➡️… https://t.co/RawuLqlBRY pic.twitter.com/d37l92DwN3

— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) July 16, 2026

In Phelps’ eyes, the Browns waited until Garrett had a career year and maximized his trade potential. They struck while the iron was hottest, yielding the best possible return for a player of his caliber.

Phelps, of course, would prefer if the team didn’t move on from the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, but if they had to move him, this was the time to do it. Not only did they receive a smattering of picks in return for Garrett, but they also picked up the 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year, Jared Verse.

There are few consolation prizes in a deal like this, but if Verse can play similarly to how he did with the Los Angeles Rams, the Browns’ defensive baseline is going to start a lot higher than people realize. This team has rallied around Garrett and an elite defense for years, and with him gone, they’ll need to lean more on their offense than ever before, especially as Verse and some of the other young players figure out how to play together and get into a rhythm.