As most football-loving Americans woke up on Monday morning expecting a resolution in the long-discussed A.J. Brown trade, they were served a curveball: Myles Garrett, one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history, was sent to the Rams for Jared Verse and first-, second- and third-round picks in 2027, 2028 and 2029, respectively. Garrett is 30, coming off a historic season in which he became the NFL’s single-season sack king, and the impact is seismic.
Garrett is a clear upgrade over Verse in the immediate future (despite Verse offering more upside) and represents another brilliant gambit by GM Les Snead and coach Sean McVay at capitalizing on established veteran talent. Meanwhile, the Browns lean deeper into a strategy that began, in earnest, the year before Garrett was drafted by the franchise. Perhaps after a decade, the continued infatuation with acquiring draft equity will pay off in the form of a sustainable and competitive football team.
