Myles Garrett likely will not be traded to the New York Giants, but his request to be dealt from the Cleveland Browns could very well impact Big Blue this offseason.
The All-Pro defensive end wants a change of scenery after trading through another disappointing season with the AFC North squad.
“As a kid dreaming of the NFL, all I focused on was the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl — and that goal fuels me today more than ever,” a statement from Garrett read. “My love for the community of Northeast Ohio and the incredible fan base of the Cleveland Browns has made this one of the toughest decisions of my life. These past eight years have shaped me into the man that I am today.
“While I’ve loved calling this city my home, my desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won’t allow me to be complacent. The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton; it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl. With that in mind, I have requested a trade from the Cleveland Browns.”
A trade is not necessarily a given. Garrett is under contract for the next two seasons, and the Browns will be looking for a king’s ransom for a pass-rusher of his caliber, which means multiple first-round picks to headline a package. It’s a steep price but one that many teams around the league would deem worthwhile. The 29-year-old has had double-digit sacks in each of the last seven seasons and has had at least 14 in each of the last four.
If the Browns do trade him, though, another dimension is added to their No. 2 pick at the 2025 NFL Draft.
Cleveland could realistically take one of the top two quarterbacks, Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, considering Deshaun Watson’s albatross of a contract has yielded zero success. The controversial quarterback will also miss the entire 2025 season after re-tearing his Achilles.
But if Garrett is traded, the allure of drafting Penn State’s Abdul Carter becomes all the more intriguing. Initially, the Nittany Lion would have been brought in to create a potential two-headed monster off the edge alongside Garrett. Now, he might be a necessity to ensure any threat of their pass-rush stays intact.
Taking Carter would guarantee the Giants get one of Ward or Sanders should the Tennessee Titans take a passer with the No. 1 overall pick, which is expected considering the failure that was the Will Levis experiment.
It would check off the largest task on Giants general manager Joe Schoen’s to-do list this offseason, as the prospect of a franchise quarterback would fall into his lap to potentially save his job.
The Giants are in desperate need of a legitimate quarterback after Schoen ate his losses and cut Daniel Jones just a year-and-a-half after signing him to a four-year, $160 million deal. New York finished the season playing a carousel of Drew Lock, Tommy DeVito, and Tim Boyle.
