Rams Make Big Swing, Pick Up Garrett From Browns in Blockbuster Deal

Back in his time coaching the Atlanta Falcons, Jerry Glanville used to talk about how the NFL stood for Not For Long. It was a simple reminder that coaches, officials and players have a short shelf life and could be here today, gone tomorrow.

While stars and superstars are slightly more exempt from that decree, the fact remains that those deals do happen. On Monday, we saw a massive deal go down between the Rams and the Browns. Let’s break it down.

The Deal

To Los Angeles Rams: DE Myles Garrett

To Cleveland Browns: DE Jared Verse, 2027 1st round pick, 2028 2nd round pick, 2029 3rd round pick

From the Rams Perspective

This deal is a no-brainer for the Rams. They fell in the NFC Championship Game to Seattle last season. In addition, they inked reigning MVP Matthew Stafford to a one-year extension. That keeps him in the fold for 2026 and 2027. They have the pieces in place to contend this season so taking the big swing makes sense. Adding the reigning Defensive Player of the Year to the mix makes perfect sense for Los Angeles in an all-out move.

Garrett set a league-record last season with 23 sacks. He added 60 tackles (43 solo), 33 tackles for loss and quarterback hits. Garrett added three forced fumbles en route to earning his third straight First-Team All-Pro selection. He’ll slot right in at defensive end for the Rams and look to terrorize opposing quarterbacks. Les Snead is attempting to maximize his short term window with Stafford and this was a great move.

From the Browns Perspective

Cleveland was solid defensively last season but a suspect offense doomed them to another losing season. The Browns are a team that is lacking in talent and even after reloading in the draft this season, there are still holes to fill. Dealing Garrett is a blow given his performance throughout his career. After all, you don’t just replace a guy that has amassed 125.5 sacks in his career. You also don’t replace five First Team All-Pro selections and two Defensive Player of the Year awards.

On the plus side, getting Verse is a solid acquisition for the Rams. He’s five years younger than Garrett and obviously is cheaper than Garrett’s deal. Verse contributed 58 tackles (35 solo), 11 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 27 quarterback hits and three forced fumbles last year for the Rams. He is still under contract for two more seasons, plus a fifth-year option that the Browns can pick up down the line. The extra draft capital can only help Cleveland going forward as they try to find their QB of the future and continue adding young, cheap, controllable talent.

This may be the first swing of deals to come in the next few weeks. One thing is for certain: the first post June 1 deal was a blockbuster. It sets a high threshold for any other deals to try and match up with.