Insider expands on Browns playing 'hardball' amid Myles Garrett trade saga

Dianna Russini of The Athletic is among those who have reported that the Cleveland Browns are "playing hardball" and "are not moving" wantaway All-Pro pass-rusher Myles Garrett even though Garrett went public with his desire to be traded this offseason ahead of Super Bowl LIX.

On Sunday, Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer touched upon the Browns’ "breaking point" regarding a Garrett saga that seemingly won't be resolved anytime soon. 

"I believe the Browns are prepared to exercise patience and let this play out as long as possible," Cabot explained. "If that means Garrett sits out some games, so be it. With Browns GM Andrew Berry telling us at the Senior Bowl that he wouldn’t even take two first-round picks, he’s ready to dig in his heels and stick to his guns. On top of all of the other reasons the Browns don’t want to trade Garrett (best defensive player in the NFL in his prime, etc.), the Browns must establish that they won’t cave to trade demands."

Garrett told anybody who would listen during Super Bowl week media appearances that he wants to join an advertised contender. Such comments left fans wondering if the Browns will essentially punt on the 2025 season in part because they're stuck with what's left of the disastrous five-year, $230M contract they gave quarterback Deshaun Watson in March 2022. Watson suffered a torn Achilles on Oct. 20 and may miss all of next season after he tore the Achilles again during his recovery. 

Cabot has routinely insisted that both Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski believe a club that participated in a wild-card playoff game back in January 2024 can return to the postseason next winter if it gets better quarterback play. 

Specifically, the Browns have been linked with Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons. Cousins had Stefanski as a quarterbacks coach and an offensive coordinator when the two men were with the Minnesota Vikings in 2018 and 2019. It's assumed Atlanta and Cousins will part ways before the new league year opens on March 12. 

Cleveland could also spend the second overall pick of the 2025 draft to land either Miami's Cam Ward or Colorado's Shedeur Sanders.

"It makes no sense to tank to get higher picks for the future," Cabot said about Cleveland's offseason plans. "The Browns already have plenty of key pieces on this roster, and they’ll have 12 picks in the draft including likely three compensatory picks. They’ll also have some money to spend in free agency once they restructure Deshaun Watson’s contract and that of others. If they hit on the quarterback and also draft one of the many excellent running backs in this draft, they’ll be on their way to a much better offense."

In short, the messages coming from the Browns couldn't be clearer: Berry expects a team that finished this past season at 3-14 will have an improved roster by September, and that roster seemingly will include Garrett. While Garrett has said he's "willing to do whatever it takes" to receive his desired trade, it's unknown if the 29-year-old who is under contract through the 2026 season would forfeit money by sitting regular-season games out in an attempt to force Berry's hand.