The biggest elephant in the Cleveland Browns' headquarters this offseason is superstar edge rusher Myles Garrett. After publicly requesting a trade, his bleak future with the organization is at the forefront of general manager Andrew Berry and the front office's plans.
Cleveland and Garrett would presumably like to resolve this situation as quickly and painlessly as possible. Whether that means finding the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year a new home or rekindling the flame, anything's better than this awkward limbo phase. But unfortunately (for all parties involved), recent intel from ESPN's Dan Graziano ($) suggests the best course of action may be to exercise patience.
Time is working against a Browns-Myles Garrett trade, whether the star EDGE rusher likes it or not
Per Graziano, the Browns' most optimal approach to re-routing Garrett is to 'just wait' until after June 1, a pivotal date on the NFL calendar. By doing so, Cleveland can spread the monetary burden of a deal rather than further damaging their already brutal payroll situation.
Moreover, Graziano notes that trading Garrett now would yield a dead cap hit north of $36 million. That's nearly twice the $19.7 million charge Cleveland assumes for keeping him on the 2025 roster. So, not only would the Browns be parting ways with their most talented player and longtime franchise centerpiece, but they'd pay more to do it.
From a fiscal standpoint, the Browns choosing not to move Garrett until the summer makes sense, though it's far from ideal. Notably, the league's annual draft is scheduled for late April. Because of the conflicting timelines, Cleveland won't be able to get any 2025 selections in a potential blockbuster swap. Nevertheless, at this point, that's a sunk cost if it means preserving their financial flexibility.
The reality of losing Garrett would be tough enough for the Browns to swallow. But deciding to ship him elsewhere in an untimely fashion could be catastrophic. The monstrous dead cap hit Cleveland would hamper how they "operate the rest of their offseason."
In other words, even if Garrett, the Browns and their fans want to put this saga behind them, that ostensibly won't happen anytime soon.