3 Takeaways From Rams’ Blockbuster Trade For Myles Garrett

The Los Angeles Rams once again showed a willingness to go for broke in the franchise’s chase for another Super Bowl. In one of the biggest trades in NFL history, the Rams landed future Hall of Fame edge rusher Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns for two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick. The Rams securing the all-time single-season sack leader and last year’s NFL Defensive Player of the Year shows that they remain intently focused on building a roster that can not only make the Super Bowl, but win it all. It’s reminiscent of their move to acquire quarterback Matthew Stafford in 2021, when they shipped Jared Goff and two first-round picks to the Detroit Lions. The Rams won the Super Bowl in the same year they made the Stafford trade, capturing the Lombardi Trophy at their home stadium. And where will this year’s Super Bowl be played? SoFi Stadium. So, will history repeat itself again for the Rams? With Garrett now headed to L.A., here are three takeaways from the massive deal: The Texas native demanded a trade during the offseason last year, but when the Browns offered him a rich extension, he picked the money over winning. Garrett signed a four-year contract extension that, at the time, made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, earning $40 million annually. Garrett went on to have his best season as a pro, breaking the NFL’s single-season sack record with 23 sacks and totaling 33 tackles for loss. Still, Garrett’s heroic performance didn’t have an impact on his team’s record, as the Browns finished 5-12 and fired head coach Kevin Stefanski at the end of the season. This offseason seemed to have fizzled Garrett’s situation in Cleveland. After the Browns moved on from Stefanski, they didn’t hire who he wanted to be their next head coach, Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. Instead, they hired former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, and Schwartz opted to leave the organization. As the offseason progressed, Garrett’s unhappiness in Cleveland became apparent. Monken said he still hadn’t met Garrett yet when he spoke with reporters in late May, and the star edge rusher wasn’t present for the team’s voluntary workouts. During Garrett’s time away, the Browns restructured his contract, allowing them to spread out his cap hit over two seasons after June 1. That paved the way for a trade. Garrett had a no-trade clause in his contract, giving him some power in picking his next location. His new home is one he’ll have some familiarity with, as Garrett’s girlfriend, Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim, is a Southern California native. So, the trade to Los Angeles brings him closer to his offseason lifestyle. Los Angeles already gave up a first-round pick this offseason in a trade for versatile, All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie and signed his teammate, former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson, to improve the team’s weak spot defensively in the secondary. Those moves came after Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the Seattle Seahawks successfully moved the ball through the air with relative ease in their NFC Championship Game victory over the Rams en route to winning the Super Bowl. Now, Los Angeles has one of the best defensive fronts in football to help ease the burden of its revamped secondary. Verse was a good player and L.A’s most talented pass rusher. However, Verse had trouble finishing in critical moments of the game, logging just 12 sacks over his first two seasons. And the Rams still have plenty of talent in the defensive trenches outside of Garrett. Byron Young was more productive in getting after the quarterback last year than Verse, recording 12 sacks to earn a Pro Bowl nod in 2025. The interior of the line is formidable, with defensive tackles Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske and Poona Ford, but the Rams now have their first elite closer on the edge since Von Miller, who was instrumental in helping the team win the Super Bowl in 2021. Leading tackler inside linebacker Nate Landman signed an extension this past season and returns, along with versatile safeties Kam Curl and Quentin Lake. Add McDuffie and Watson to the mix, and the Rams have elite players at all three levels of their defense, something they couldn’t claim when they fell two wins short of the Lombardi Trophy last year. The Browns’ roster will take an immediate hit for 2026, but they’re now well-positioned to build for the future. They moved on from a high-maintenance player in Garrett, who showed up late for meetings routinely and was arrested a handful of times for speeding. He could have been an issue for a franchise attempting to establish a new culture with Monken, if he wasn’t already with his absences from the team’s offseason program. While Verse isn’t the pass rusher Garrett has been, he also fits their timeline more than the two-time Defensive Player of the Year did. He joins a Cleveland squad that had several productive rookies last season, including Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwessinger and defensive tackle Mason Graham. More importantly, the Browns now have extra draft capital that could allow them to make a move in next year’s talent-rich QB class. They now have two first-round picks in 2027, giving them 11 picks total. The Browns have a two-man competition at quarterback this season in Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders, but it’s clear that they’re looking toward next year. “It’s all about winning a Super Bowl in L.A,” a longtime NFL scout told me when asked about the trade. “The Browns get rid of an eventual pain in the ass, if he isn’t one already.”