The buzz surrounding the idea that the Cleveland Browns may be looking to trade Myles Garrett is getting louder as the NFL offseason goes on. That’s despite the fact that the Browns have reportedly adamantly denied that they will trade him, and that Garrett has a no-trade clause in his contract.
But a recent change to the wording in that deal has generated significant speculation about Garrett’s future in Cleveland. Though some insiders are completely dismissing the idea that this is a sign of what’s to come, others are starting to speculate about who might be seriously interested.
Analyst Tony Grossi recently named the former Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles as a likely suitor for Garrett, with general manager Andrew Berry having a link to that franchise.
“Howie Roseman, whom Berry considers the league’s best GM after serving one year under him in 2019, needs an elite pass rusher to complete his Super Bowl-contending team after losing Jaelen Phillips in free agency. The Eagles are too far down in the first round to fill that need with an elite pass rusher in the draft. They were rumored to have inquired about Garrett last year when he demanded a trade, then took the bag to stay in Cleveland,” Grossi wrote.
Based on Roseman’s history, the Eagles are almost always in play for any star that could hit the market. The Philadelphia GM has also shown a talent for manipulating the team’s picks in the NFL Draft to its full advantage.
Some Browns fans might fear that Berry would be in over his head while negotiating with Roseman. But he also has the advantage of working under him as the Eagles’ vice president of football operations in 2019, before leaving to become Cleveland’s GM in 2020.
Garrett asked for a trade last offseason before signing his lucrative contract extension. Despite the no-trade clause, the idea came up again near last year’s NFL deadline, and it started to reignite during the Browns’ coaching staff changes, with Todd Monken getting hired as head coach and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz departing.
If the Browns do put Garrett on the market, they would be deciding that his value in a trade would be worth more to the franchise than his performance would be for a non-playoff team. For his part, Garrett may want to join a contender rather than be part of a potentially lengthy rebuild under Monken.
The Eagles may not have enough to offer the Browns to make a trade between them worthwhile, but Roseman does have a way of getting what he needs most of the time.
NEXT: Analyst Makes Case For Browns To Draft Alabama OT
