Why Browns may not trade Myles Garrett before 2025 NFL Draft

Shortly after it was learned on Monday that Cleveland Browns star pass-rusher Myles Garrett had requested a trade because he wants "to compete for and win a Super Bowl," individuals such as The Athletic's Zac Jackson suggested the Browns should grant Garrett's wish sooner rather than later as part of a needed roster rebuild. 

However, ESPN's Dan Graziano and others noted that Browns general manager Andrew Berry doesn't need to be in a rush to complete a Garrett-related transaction. 

"A quick word on the particulars of why Garrett's contract would be difficult for Cleveland to trade," Graziano shared on Monday afternoon. "Because of past restructures, the dead money cap hit the Browns would incur for 2025 would exceed $36M. They couldn't split that money up over two years, because there's no such thing as a post-June 1 trade designation, in the way there is for a post-June 1 release designation. They'd actually have to wait until after June 1 to do the deal if they wanted to defray the cap cost."

Jimmy Watkins of the Cleveland Plain Dealer is among those who have mentioned since Monday's developments that Garrett doesn't have a ton of leverage. He's under contract through the 2026 season and is trying to force a trade ahead of a draft that, in the eyes of many analysts, contains "a very questionable group" of quarterbacks. 

Even before Monday's news broke, individuals such as ESPN's Matt Miller pointed out the Browns could and maybe even should spend the second overall pick of this year's draft on a non-quarterback playmaker. Thus, waiting until the summer to trade Garrett for future draft assets that could be spent as part of the Browns' search for a long-term answer at the sport's most important position in 2026 may ultimately be what's best for the franchise. 

It also can't be forgotten that the seats occupied by Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski were already quite hot before the first Monday of February concluded. The perception exists they can't afford to trade Garrett, punt on the 2025 season and expect to remain in their jobs through next winter. 

As Browns insider Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland/The Land on Demand wrote, Berry is well aware that history shows Garrett could experience a change of heart if he receives a noteworthy pay raise from his current employer between now and the end of training camp. 

Back in the spring of 2023, the Baltimore Ravens locked quarterback Lamar Jackson down via a five-year deal not long after he went public with a trade request. More recently, pass-rusher Haason Reddick sat out the first month and a half of this past season before he and the New York Jets came to an agreement regarding the remainder of the campaign. 

Berry theoretically could give Garrett's camp permission to seek out a so-called "'Godfather' offer" that would likely involve Cleveland wanting multiple first-round draft picks in return for the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. However, Grossi reported that a Browns spokesperson confirmed on Monday that the team is currently "not entertaining offers for" Garrett's services. 

In short, Monday may have been only the beginning of a saga that could drag well into the summer months.