The Cleveland Browns have no plans to trade their star pass-rusher Myles Garrett, but their stance could shift if they receive a trade offer similar to the hypothetical package proposed by former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum.
During Friday’s episode of ESPN’s “Get Up,” Tannenbaum pitched a trade that would land Garrett with the Detroit Lions for a hefty haul that includes three first-round picks and running back Jahmyr Gibbs — the team’s first-round pick in last season.
“They need a pass-rusher in the worst way. Aidan Hutchinson may come back but (Garrett) is still young in the prime of his career. If I’m Detroit, I could win the Super Bowl. Jahmyr Gibbs is good player but he’s replaceable. These are going to be low picks. Why wouldn’t they win the Super Bowl with Myles Garrett.”
The proposal from Tannenbaum led to a few of his panelists getting up and leaving the set scoffing at the idea. Bart Scott said there’s another Browns’ pass-rusher the Lions could target without giving up a historic haul.
“Right teams, wrong player,” Scott said. “Go get Za’Darius Smith. You can get him for a box of Kool-Aid.”
Tannenbaum defended his stance, saying Garrett is the best non-quarterback in the NFL right now. While his trade proposal was wild, he may not be wrong about that. Garrett is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and has been a force on the edge since entering the league.
Garrett has notched 92.5 sacks in eight seasons, all with the Browns. He’s had double-digit sacks every season but his rookie year, when he played in just 11 games.
Browns DE Za’Darius Smith Aware of Trade Rumors
In all likelihood, Garrett will not be moved at the trade deadline on November 5, despite the Browns’ 2-6 record. Smith, on the other hand, has been one of the more prominent names surfacing in trade rumors.
“Shoot, man, that’s not in my control,” Smith told cleveland.com of the trade rumors on Thursday. “I can’t control that. I know that’s an AB push (GM Andrew Berry).”
The Browns traded for Smith ahead of last season. In the deal, the Browns got Smith, a 2025 sixth-round pick and a 2025 seventh-round pick from the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for two fifth-round picks.
Smith had five sacks last season — a number he’s almost eclipsed already through eight games this season. He signed a two-year, $23.5 million deal to remain in Cleveland this offseason.
“I feel like getting traded (here) last year was me just getting my feet wet,” Smith said. “Obviously I played in a 3-4 system my whole career. And then coming here switching to a 4-3, I was more of a react-attack type guy (before). And now here I’m an attack-react type guy. So it was new for me a little bit, but I’m getting the hang of it. And obviously you can see that I’m making more plays now.”
Browns Value Za’Darius Smith as Leader on Defense
The Browns are unlikely to part ways with Smith easily. He’s emerged as a key leader on the defensive unit, and Cleveland needs all the strength they can muster to turn their season around.
“I don’t think a lot of people understand what type of leader he is in the room for us. And then just the energy that he brings and just another guy that’s just a professional, he attacks every single day with intention and with the game plan in mind,” Browns defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire said this week. “And so when you’ve got a guy like that that’s out there that he can set the edge, he can rush, he still has tons of juice in his legs, it makes you feel a lot better knowing that again, there’s going to be six hands put on Myles Garrett every play.”
That said, Cleveland’s willingness to trade Amari Cooper — their top wide receiver — proves that, for the right price, no one is untouchable.
