Despite getting a decent return in the trade for their longtime defensive star, the Browns need improvement elsewhere if they expect to turn the franchise around
By Matthew Serocki | June 7, 2026
Trading a star NFL player like Myles Garrett is the type of move that shakes things up across the league. A swap like that between Cleveland and the Los Angeles Rams often benefits both sides. Before the trade earlier this week, the Rams were one of the favorites, if not the favorite, to win the Super Bowl in 2026.
Adding Garrett to their already formidable defense should put them over the top. He wasn’t the only vital addition as GM Les Snead bolstered the secondary by adding both Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson from the Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City was looking to offload contract money and start over in the secondary after falling short last year.
In this case, the rich got richer. As for the Browns, they’re probably optimistic about the haul received in the trade. The Rams sent Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a conditional 2029 third-round pick to Cleveland in exchange for the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.
They’ll have two first-rounders next year in what is supposed to be a draft rich in quarterback talent. That hasn’t made a difference for the Browns in the past, as Cleveland selected Baker Mayfield, Johnny Manziel, Brady Quinn, and Brandon Weeden all in the first round since 2000.
The franchise simply cannot develop quarterbacks and surround them with a good enough supporting cast. It’s why they’re always scrambling to find the signal-caller of the future while every other team in the NFC North can boast an identity. Pittsburgh and Baltimore have traditionally been considered hard-nosed defensive teams. Both are perennially in the playoff hunt.
Cincinnati has had ups and downs but is always a threat as long as Joe Burrow is under center. The Browns have had only two winning seasons since 2010, making the playoffs in both. In 11 of the seasons in that time period, the squad has had double-digit losses, including a 1-15 mark in 2016 and 0-16 record in 2017.
Jimmy Haslam bought the team in 2012 and hasn’t turned things around. Add in the debacle that was the Deshaun Watson trade, and Cleveland will grasp onto any straw for a taste of hope. That taste will probably be bitter due to the bungling of the franchise’s recent past.
They can select good players, but have wasted names like Jerry Jeudy, Joe Haden, Denzel Ward, Joe Thomas, Joel Bitonio, and numerous other players. Having more picks doesn’t always translate into more success. The Rams, who traded with the Browns, are the exact opposite.
They can analyze draft prospects and hit on their picks more than they miss with minimal selections. It’s the reason for their cavalier style of building a team each year. Cleveland will certainly miss Garrett as he was the face of the franchise and one of the top two defensive players in the league.
But also gone in the off-season is defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. The defense will be worse without both men. Will Maliek Collins and linebacker Carson Schwesinger be as effective with the drop from Garrett to Verse, as well as a different scheme?
Until things change in the organization, like being able to attract a proven head coach instead of another coordinator like Todd Monken, then the hope will likely dissolve faster than the Browns can make another questionable move.
Matthew Serocki is a freelance journalist based outside of Boston, Massachusetts. He’s been an avid NFL and MLB fan for over 35 years, and his favorite teams are the New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics, and Washington Commanders. Matt also writes about professional wrestling for Sportskeeda.
