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Grade the trade: Rams go all in with blockbuster trade for Myles Garrett

Trading for one defensive star this offseason wasn’t enough for the Los Angeles Rams.

The Rams had to trade for the best defensive player in the NFL.

The “forget those picks” era for the Rams hasn’t ended. The Rams made a massive trade for Cleveland Browns superstar defensive end Myles Garrett, sending a very good young defensive end in Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick and other draft compensation to the Browns for the two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year according to ESPN. It’s one of the biggest and most stunning deals in NFL history.

Here are the grades for the trade:

Rams make a big move for Myles Garrett

Garrett isn’t just one of the best defensive ends in the NFL, he’s one of the best defensive players in football. And he’s not just one of the best defensive players in football, he might be the best player regardless of position. And he’s not just the best player right now, he’s one of the best players in NFL history, a sure first-ballot Hall of Famer who just set the NFL’s single-season sack record.

This move was absolutely massive for the Rams, who were already Super Bowl favorites before the deal.

With Matthew Stafford nearing the end of his career, the Rams clearly are going for a championship. They traded a first-round pick and three other picks to the Chiefs for cornerback Trent McDuffie, then made McDuffie the highest paid cornerback in NFL history. That trade would be the highlight of just about any team’s offseason any season. It’s a distant second for the Rams now.

Garrett will turn 31 years old this season, but he has shown no signs of slowing down. He has 125.5 sacks in nine seasons, including 23 last season. Verse is a very good player and the first-round pick has value in what is expected to be a great draft, though it will likely be near the end of the first round.

But don’t overcomplicate things: The Rams just got a generational player. The Rams are not just the Super Bowl favorite, the gap to No. 2 is distant. It’s a home run for Los Angeles, and a move that will be remembered forever if it leads to a championship.

Grade: A+

Browns trade a franchise icon

Myles Garrett had been frustrated with losing and wanted a trade during the 2025 offseason, but a $40 million per year deal placated him for a bit and halted any trade talk. But when the Browns modified his contract earlier this year it made it easier for the team to work out a deal, via ESPN.

The deal makes sense for a team that has no realistic goal of competing to trade a 30-year-old defensive end when his value is the highest. It still has to sting.

The Browns did fine with the return. Verse was the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024 and although he’s still looking for his first double-digit sack season, he is a good young star. The draft compensation will help the Browns, who had a good rookie class last year and a 2026 draft that was praised by nearly everyone. Though, the Rams’ pick could easily be 32nd in the first round next year. But the youth movement is on and the Browns are building with an eye on the 2027 NFL Draft, when they can perhaps get their answer at quarterback.

It’s just hard to move on from a first-ballot Hall of Famer who is coming off one of the great seasons in NFL history. It’s a day for bittersweet reflection for Browns fans, who made the playoffs just twice, winning one game, with one of the best defensive players in NFL history. Maybe the next era will be better. Because the Browns just traded a legend in the middle of his career.

Grade: B-

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