Myles Garrett is a Ram. What Does This Mean for All Parties Involved?

CINCINNATI, OH - JANUARY 04: Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) reacts after breaking the single-season sack record during the game against the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals on January 4, 2026, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. (Photo by Ian Johnson Icon Sportswire) NFL, American Football Herren, USA JAN 04 Browns at Bengals EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260104194

April 1st was 2 months ago. This is not fake in any aspect. The Los Angeles Rams earlier today pulled the trigger on arguably the best player in football not named Patrick Mahomes. In exchange, Cleveland received Jared Verse, a 2027 1st, a 2028 2nd, and a 2029 3rd.

   This is not the first elite player LA has added defensively. About 2 months ago, former Chiefs All-Pro corner Trent McDuffie was sent west in a package deal. To complement that, his fellow boundary corner in KC Jaylen Watson signed with the Rams in free agency. After a season that ended in a NFC Championship loss to Seattle, the defensive questions that partially cost the Rams’ season were answered.

   So what will 2026 look like for the Rams? Barring a sudden Patrick Mahomes blockbuster, this has been and will be the trade of the offseason. Let’s go over a few things surrounding this eye-catching move?

Who won the trade? 

  I lean LA. Both sides benefited greatly and Cleveland in a year or two has the potential to be a really good football team if a QB can be brought in on the opposite end of that defense. But what gives the Rams the edge is more centered on their team building philosophy as a whole.

   Where most teams value their future, and make long term centered decisions to build for that, the Rams are a very window-to-window team. Since the arrival of Sean McVay in 2017, their value lies in immediate impact players, trading in draft capital on multiple occasions for players who would make their presence known right away. The insurance policy for longevity is embedded into their ability to scout out late round talent, with names such as Puka Nacua, Kyren Williams, and Cobie Durant acting as evidence for that.

   Trading Jared Verse stings, and when you bring age and contracts into the equation, most other teams probably lose this trade. But the Rams year-to-year ideology works, and despite being 30 years old, it was only last season when Myles Garrett broke the sack record. Immediate impact over long term development has been the Rams’ forte. In LA’s case and LA’s case only, its fair to ignore what certain moves mean for the organization 4-5 years down the line. Because its never been about that for them; and the Super Bowl trophy in their cabinet proves that.

Did the Browns do the right thing?

   “Trading Myles Garrett” just sounds like an unintelligent thing to do when you think about it raw, but the circumstances surrounding Cleveland in itself and their relationship with Garrett back the move up. 

   Garrett requested around April of last year, before the Browns handed him a blank check and begged him to stay. But a year later, nothing changed. The Browns finished the 2025 season with a record of 5-12; last in their division and enough to earn the 9th overall pick. Obviously none of it was Myles Garrett fault, but the recent stagnancy of Cleveland was slowly deteriorating them. Its not like on paper Cleveland has a bad roster, with names such as Denzel Ward, Quinshon Judkins, Carson Schwesinger, and Harold Fannin sticking out. But the elephant in the room was and still is the QB situation, an issue that's crippled Cleveland for as long as we can remember.

  So how does trading a talent like Myles Garrett solve this problem? Its a symbolic hit of the reset button. Think about what Dallas did with Micah Parsons last year. Despite his constant production the defense as a whole was underperforming, so it was evident that multiple pieces would be needed to bring things back together. It was expectantly even worse in 2025, but the value they obtained from the Micah Parsons trade has aged well, with Quinnen Williams being a direct asset obtained and Caleb Downs being an indirect one. There’s still a long way to go, but their defense is in much better position than in years prior, and because the offense is basically complete, Dallas can realistically compete with a complete top to bottom roster in a year or two.

  The Browns' Achilles heel has always been quarterback. And with the loaded 2027 draft class on its way, trading Myles Garrett is one the steps needed to be taken to change the franchise for the better, in both the financial and team building aspect. Now of course, they still have to pick the right QB, none of this matters if they fail to capitalize on that. But addition by subtraction is a very real thing in the NFL, and the Browns have made a lot of room to improve their overall roster.

What Does This Mean for Edge Rushers?

   Before, it was rare for an elite edge to get moved in a blockbuster deal. But in the past 10 months, we’ve seen Micah Parsons, Maxx Crosby (kinda), Trey Hendrickson, and Myles Garrett all make their way to new teams. All elite edge rushers, well within the years of their prime. The position is no longer safe. Why? Not because they’re expendable, edge rushers are still one of the most important positions in the game. But because they’re expensive.

   The position lies in a weird spot. Obviously great players cost a lot of money as all great things in life with the exception of Cookout. But edge rushers sit in this weird no man’s land between cost, and value. The problem with edge rushers from a financial standpoint is how difficult it is for one to actually change a game. Sure you’ll get the occasional strip sack, or 4th down pressure, but edge rushers and most defensive linemen in general don’t have the luxury of a grip on the game like another expensive position would, like quarterbacks or wide receivers. 

   What makes it even more awkward is just how great defensive linemen can be. Quarterbacks aside, names like Aaron Donald, JJ Watt, and now Myles Garrett have been known to be in those rooms with the Brady’s and Mahomes’ of this world for who the best player in the league is. But even the future first ballots lack script value, which is why whenever you do see the impact of a Micah Parsons or Aidan Hutchinson, it changes the entire game; because those moments are so rare in comparison to the entirety of the game. You would think a team with a player with 23 sacks would at least be in the double digit win column, but ultimately and unfairly, Myles Garrett’s meant nothing. Neither did TJ Watt’s record tying season in 2021, as the Pittsburgh Steelers finished 9-7-1 and got clobbered in the Wild Card by the Chiefs

   The game is evolving by the minute, and having the best edge rusher doesn’t equate to overall team success like it did in the past. Its nobody’s fault, but a very hard pill to swallow.

Can the Rams Actually Win the Super Bowl This Year?

   I’d certainly hope so. Any team that goes to an NFC Championship and adds a future 1st ballot hall of famer should absolutely be the front runner for Lombardi. Its even crazier how much this lines up with their 2021 Super Bowl winning season, where they went into that year with arguably the best roster on paper in a year that the Super Bowl would be held at Sofi Stadium. Crazy.

   But yes, the Rams absolutely have very real Super Bowl odds. A team that fell short in 2025 partially due to defensive inconsistencies and lack of star power now adds Myles Garrett, Trent McDuffie, and Jaylen Watson. The NFC is strong, but every one of those top teams has the Rams on the top of their hit list, even the squad in Seattle that just took home the Lombardi.