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Rams trade for superstar, but Garrett move won't motivate Cardinals

A blockbuster trade involving the Cleveland Browns sending two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams is reportedly being finalized, a move that could shake up the NFC West.

Just don’t expect the Arizona Cardinals to make any counter move to try to keep pace with the Rams, who are Super Bowl contenders.

The Cardinals have their own problems, namely trying to appease quarterback Jacoby Brissett, their presumptive starter, and finding a way to keep Josh Sweat, their best edge rusher, happy enough not to force a trade himself.

Brissett wants more money and guaranteed pay added to the final year of his contract with Arizona and as for Sweat, even if the Cardinals were to find a trading partner for his services, they wouldn’t get anything close to what the Browns are getting for Garrett, a seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero and ESPN's Adam Schefter, who first broke the news on Monday, June 1, the Rams are sending two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round draft pick and more draft compensation still being negotiated to the Browns.

The Rams made a similar major move during the 2021 offseason when they traded for quarterback Matthew Stafford, acquiring him from the Detroit Lions in a package that included Jared Goff, a 2021 third-round pick, and two first-round picks in 2022 and 2023.

Stafford helped the Rams win the Super Bowl in his first season in Los Angeles, and the game was played in the Rams’ home field, SoFi Stadium. That’s also the site for this season's Super Bowl, and the Rams increased their odds of getting there again with the addition of Garrett, the league’s leading sack artist.

Considering the Seattle Seahawks are the defending Super Bowl champions and the division rival San Francisco 49ers always remain a threat, the Cardinals appear nowhere near contending for a playoff berth, let alone a Super Bowl title.

Arizona is coming off a 3-14 season and oddsmakers project them to finish with the fewest wins in the NFL this season, along with the Miami Dolphins.

Reach McManaman at bob.mcmanaman@arizonarepublic. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @azbobbymac and listen to him live every Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. on Roc and Manuch with Jimmy B on ESPN 620 (KTAR-AM) and every Thursday on the Doug Franz Unplugged podcast via Apple or Spotify.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Rams trading for Myles Garrett helps LA's Super Bowl odds

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