The debate about who won the Myles Garrett trade has been raging since the moment Ian Rapoport broke the news Monday afternoon. ESPN analyst Seth Walder has studied the full terms and come to a conclusion that should make every Browns fan feel significantly better about what just happened.
Walder handed out his official trade grade, and he gave the Browns an ‘A’ grade.
“Rams get: Edge Myles Garrett. Browns get: Edge Jared Verse, 2027 first-round pick, 2028 second-round pick, 2029 third-round pick. Rams grade: C minus. Browns grade: A. The Super Bowl favorite Rams just dealt for the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, coming off a season in which he broke the single-season sack record, and yet it should be Browns fans celebrating this trade. It’s a mighty acquisition for Los Angeles, but it’s a massive return for Cleveland, more than should have reasonably been expected, even for Garrett. Verse himself is probably worth more than a first-round pick, so the compensation here with no picks from the Browns and three from the Rams is really heavy,” Walder wrote.
The key line in his analysis is the one about Verse being worth more than a first-round pick on his own. If Verse alone exceeds the value of a first-round pick, then the Browns essentially received a player worth more than a first rounder plus an actual first rounder in 2027 plus a second rounder in 2028 plus a third rounder in 2029. Stack all of that together and the return becomes genuinely staggering for any player, let alone one who just broke the single-season sack record.
Walder’s C minus grade for the Rams reflects the same math from the other direction. Los Angeles gave up a young, ascending edge rusher who was already earning Pro Bowl selections and still had years of elite play ahead of him, combined with three future picks across three consecutive draft years. For a team that positioned itself as a Super Bowl contender, surrendering that much future capital is a significant price to pay even for a two-time Defensive Player of the Year.
Garrett’s desire to potentially move on combined with the overwhelming interest from teams like the Rams and Eagles gave Andrew Berry genuine leverage, and he used every bit of it.
It hurts watching number 95 leave. That pain is real and it is valid. But Berry did his job exceptionally well when it mattered most.
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