The 2024 NFL season isn’t quite over, but that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from being in full swing.
On Monday, Myles Garrett requested a trade out of Cleveland. The Browns star defensive end issued a statement saying he wanted to be traded after eight seasons in the organization.
“While I’ve loved calling this city my home, my desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won’t allow me to be complacent. The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl.
“With that in mind, I have requested to be traded from the Cleveland Browns.”
That means one of the best defensive players in the NFL is available. However, it remains to be seen if the Browns will go forward with the request. Cleveland general manager Andrews Berry has said twice this past month that his team wouldn’t trade or even entertain offers for Garrett.
According to multiple reports, those inside the Browns organization are still maintaining that’ll be the case.
Here’s a look at how the Garrett trade request impacts the Patriots.
Patriots have enough capital to make a major deal
When it comes to potentially trading for Garrett, the Patriots face one major hurdle.
Garrett’s unhappiness in Cleveland comes down to winning. The Browns finished 3-14 last season. That’s coming off an 11-6 record where the team lost in the playoffs in 2023.
Would Garrett be happy to go from a 3-win Cleveland team to a 4-win Patriots franchise?
That feels unlikely. The Patriots are in the beginning stages of a rebuild. They have the quarterback, but not much else. However, that shouldn’t stop Eliot Wolf from picking up the phone and trying. The Patriots finished last in the NFL in sacks in 2024. Garrett is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and had 14 sacks last season. The Patriots finished with 28 last fall.
The Patriots have the cap space and the draft capital to make a major trade and pay a star player such as Garrett. The team heads into this offseason with a projected $120 million of cap space, according to Over the Cap. That gives them the most cap space in the NFL by nearly $30 million.
Garrett has a base salary of around $1.3 million over the next two seasons. The Patriots could certainly extend him and give him more money.
According to Diana Russini of The Athletic, citing one NFL general manager, a trade for Garrett would likely involve a first-round pick and either an additional second or multiple third-round picks.
As it stands now, the Patriots have a high second-rounder (No. 38) and two third-rounders (pick 69 and 77) in this year’s draft. If the Browns opted to move Garrett, the Patriots could offer this year’s second and next year’s first-round pick.
Why a Myles Garrett trade could hurt the Patriots
In the event the Browns do trade Garrett and it’s not to the Patriots, it could have steep ramifications on this year’s draft.
The Browns currently hold the No. 2 pick – two spots above the Patriots at No. 4. In a perfect world, two quarterbacks are drafted in the first three picks. That would mean the Patriots have a chance to select either Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter or Colorado’s Travis Hunter.
The worst-case scenario is that Carter and Hunter are selected within the first three picks. The good news for the Patriots is that the Titans (No. 1), Browns (No. 2), and the Giants (No. 3) all need quarterbacks. The bad news is that year’s class, headlined by Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, isn’t great.
If the Browns move Garrett, it could signal that they’ll replace him by drafting Carter with the No. 2 pick. The Penn State standout is one of the few blue-chip prospects in this draft and is regarded as the best pass rusher.
Carter would fill an immediate need for the Patriots. Unfortunately, if Garrett is moved, the same will be said for the Browns.
Unless Garrett is traded to New England, the best thing that could happen to the Patriots is the Browns keep him and draft a quarterback
- BETTING: Check out our MA sports betting guide, where you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts.
