The latest re-grade of the Myles Garrett trade only adds another layer to a familiar Browns story: no matter what Cleveland gets back, the conversation still seems to tilt against them.
That’s the frustrating part for Browns fans who have already had enough of hearing about Garrett. Some have moved on to indifference.
Others are in the camp of appreciating what he meant to the franchise once the curtain finally falls. Both reactions make sense after watching the best defender in team history leave following one of the greatest seasons anyone has ever put together.
But the deeper people dig into the trade, the more the Browns keep getting treated like the loser.
That’s where the criticism starts to miss. NFL trades are rarely clean wins or losses, and this one was never going to be simple.
Cleveland didn’t just move a star edge rusher; Andrew Berry pulled in a historic package from the Los Angeles Rams for a 30-year-old defensive lineman. The first-, second-, and third-round picks are part of the story, sure.
But the bigger swing was landing Jared Verse, a player who already belongs in the conversation among the league’s best pass rushers.
That matters. Verse wasn’t some extra piece tossed in to soften the blow.
He’s a premium player at a premium position, and in many eyes he’s already worth a first-round pick and more. So when people complain that the Browns didn’t squeeze out some massive pile of draft capital, they’re skipping over the most important part of the return: Cleveland got younger and still got elite talent back.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton recently re-graded the deal and handed the Rams an A while giving the Browns a C. His explanation centered on timing, Garrett’s desire to contend, and the idea that Cleveland might have been able to get more had it moved him after his historic season.
"Browns general manager Andrew Berry should've known that the team's timeline for playoff contention and Garrett's desire to play in the postseason didn't align in the short term. Remember, Garrett requested a trade last offseason, but Cleveland signed him to a new deal.
The Browns' money didn't fix everything, and they traded the star edge-rusher one year later. Nonetheless, Cleveland may have been able to get more from Los Angeles with Garrett coming off a historic season."
That argument cuts both ways. Yes, Garrett’s record-breaking season could have raised the price.
But there’s no way to know what the market would have looked like in 2025. And if Berry’s goal was to keep Garrett for one more run while still preserving the option to move him later, he did exactly that - and still managed to sell high.
That’s the part that gets lost in the noise. Cleveland held onto Garrett, took its shot, and when that shot didn’t land, it still came away with a massive return.
That’s not a failure. That’s a front office navigating a dangerous situation and coming out clean.
For longtime Browns fans, though, the larger truth remains unchanged. This team doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt until it starts winning consistently.
Losing a player like Garrett will always sting. But pain alone doesn’t make a trade bad.
this trade was an A+.
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