Browns Expected To Retain Denzel Ward
The Browns agreed to trade longtime face of the franchise Myles Garrett in a stunning blockbuster with the Rams on Monday. It is unlikely the Garrett trade will start a fire sale in Cleveland, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Veteran cornerback Denzel Ward is one player who is expected to stay put, Fowler reports.
Considering Ward’s relationship with Garrett, it will be interesting to hear his opinion on the trade (if he offers one publicly). Back when Garrett asked out of Cleveland in February 2025, Ward said: “[The request] has a huge impact, honestly. I want to play with Myles Garrett.”
Ward got his wish for 2025 after Garrett quickly backed off his trade request to sign a contract extension. The pact could have kept Garrett in a Browns uniform through 2030, but the rebuilding club will now replace the future Hall of Famer with Jared Verse and add significant draft capital in the process.
There is an obvious drop-off from Garrett to Verse, which is certainly not a knock on the latter. In his two seasons in the NFL, Verse has collected Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and a pair of Pro Bowl nods. The budding star should give the Browns a productive defender who is five years younger than Garrett and much less expensive. So, while Ward may prefer to play with Garrett, Verse is no slouch.
Like Garrett and Verse, Ward has enjoyed a decorated career. Since the Browns took Ward fourth overall in 2017, the Ohio native and former Ohio State Buckeye has gone to five Pro Bowls. Despite intercepting a career-low one pass over 15 games in 2025, he earned Pro Bowl honors for the third straight season. The 29-year-old has started 107 of 110 games as a Brown, deflected 104 passes and picked off 18. If he remains in Cleveland for ninth year in 2026, Ward will continue to start opposite Tyson Campbell.
Contractually, Ward is under wraps through 2027 on the five-year, $100.5MM extension he signed in 2022. The Browns restructured it earlier in the offseason to reduce Ward’s cap hit by $2MM, but he is still due to count $30.89MM this year. While dealing Ward would save the Browns $17.43MM in spending space this season, they would take on $13.46MM in dead money and another $18.69MM in ’27. The Browns are already set to spread $40MM-plus in dead cap from the Garrett trade over the next two years. They will also incur a combined $86.2MM charge from 2027-28 if they designate quarterback Deshaun Watson a post-June 1 release next offseason.
Browns Trade Myles Garrett To Rams
3:08pm: Both teams have announced the trade. It is indeed Garrett for Verse, a 2027 first-rounder, a 2028 second-rounder and a 2029 third-rounder.
12:23pm: Myles Garrett‘s time in Cleveland is coming to an end. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is being traded from the Browns to the Rams, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero and ESPN’s Adam Schefter report.
The full trade terms, per Schefter, consist of Garrett being traded for Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a second-round selection in 2028 and a 2029 third-rounder. This swap is not official yet, as Browns GM Andrew Berry confirms (video link via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). Once it is processed, though, it will no doubt go down as a seminal moment for both franchises.
Schefter reports Garrett has chosen to waive his no-trade clause to allow for this deal to take place. He will retain that clause upon arrival in Los Angeles. As Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports notes, today’s stunning swap represents the first time in history a reigning Defensive Play of the Year has been dealt.
Garrett has been the subject of trade speculation since he requested to be dealt last spring. That request was rescinded when a then-record extension was worked out. The seven-time Pro Bowler seemed to be in position to remain with Cleveland for years to come, but questions continued to be raised after the 2025 campaign saw him add further to his long list of accolades without any accompanying team success. Indeed, whispers about a trade lingered through the 2026 offseason.
In March, the Browns restructured Garrett’s contract in a way which did not add any new money or years to the pact. Nevertheless, the payment dates for his option bonuses were pushed back to one week before the start of the regular season. That move extended the window of opportunity for a trade – something Cleveland has denied would be taking place on multiple occasions – to be worked out.
June 1 is always a key checkpoint on the NFL calendar, and it was recently labeled the time after which a Garrett trade could occur. Just like the case of A.J. Brown, a deal formally being worked out any time after 3:00pm this afternoon will greatly impact the salary cap implications of the deal. Proceeding with this trade in a post-June 1 fashion will generate $8.34MM in cap savings for Cleveland with a $41MM dead money charge being spread out (and accounting for $15.53MM in 2026). Garrett’s contract runs through 2030.
Per Rapoport (video link), the Rams engaged in trade talks with the Browns shortly after the contract adjustment was made. Their efforts continued through the draft, with Cleveland remaining steadfast in rejecting offers. Things changed when Los Angeles general manager Les Snead offered to include Verse in the deal, though. Negotiations on an adjusted package of picks have now resulted in an agreement. Per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Rams informed Verse of the news earlier today.
Garrett has made clear his intention of playing on a contending team particularly toward the latter stages of his career. This blockbuster trade will help in that regard; the Rams fell just short of a Super Bowl appearance in 2025 and have made other win-now moves on defense since then. Garrett will join cornerback Trent McDuffie as a new face tasked with elevating Los Angeles’ defense while the teams seeks out another high-end campaign from quarterback Matthew Stafford and Co. on offense.
The Rams were a strong Brown suitor, but Breer notes their inability to acquire him helped set up this Garrett push. Another lucrative pact – one which averages $40MM per year – is now on the books, but Los Angeles will have a future Hall of Famer leading the way along a defensive front which was already among the league’s best. This acquisition will further deprive the Rams of draft capital (which was critical in establishing the post-Aaron Donald core on defense); then again, Snead’s stance when it comes to picks is rather well known.
Verse, whom Schefter notes was born in Dayton, Ohio, has enjoyed a strong start to his career. The 2024 first-rounder took home Defensive Rookie of the Year honors while thriving in a full-time starting role. Last season, the 25-year-old collected a second Pro Bowl nod in as many years while posting 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. His rookie contract runs through 2028, and Cleveland could keep him in place for a longer period via the fifth-year option.
Since Verse is five years younger than Garrett, he will align better with the roster reset Berry is overseeing. The 2025 class offered promising early results with respect to a new core emerging for Cleveland. The fate of the quarterback position beyond 2026 is unclear, but additional capital should help yield options on that front or at least provide upgrades at other spots.
In a series of remarks which have proved to provide noteworthy foreshadowing, new Browns head coach Todd Monken said earlier on Monday (video link via Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan) he was not given any assurances upon being hired about Garrett remaining with the team. Instead of having the single-season sack record holder in the fold for his first year leading an NFL team, Monken will be tasked with integrating Verse and developing the group of younger players brought in via Cleveland’s haul of draft picks.
Browns’ OL Rookies Getting First-Team Reps
The Browns are in the process of replacing all five starters on their offensive line, and in the effort of finding a new starting five, Cleveland utilized three of its 10 draft selections to address the position. The team spent a first- and third round pick on collegiate offensive tackles Spencer Fano (Utah) and Austin Barber (Florida), respectively, and a fifth-round pick on Alabama center Parker Brailsford. Zac Jackson of The Athletic detailed how each of the team’s rookies on the offensive line have been used so far in spring practices.
In rookie minicamp and early Organized Team Activities, Fano has been playing left tackle and Barber right, which is opposite where each player lined up at their respective alma maters. The team is hoping that Fano will eventually take a convincing hold of the starting left tackle job, but currently, Dawand Jones is getting the best look at that spot early on. Fano started at left tackle as a freshman with the Utes but has played right tackle ever since. It will certainly be a challenge to switch sides in his transition to a starting role in the NFL, but practicing against the likes of Myles Garrett everyday could to wonders for his development.
If Fano is able to unseat Jones, then Jones will go on competing with the next rookie, Barnes, for the primary swing tackle role. Jackson speculates that Barnes could also end up getting some looks at guard, which could be really beneficial for Barnes’ roster security if he isn’t able to secure the backup tackle role. Of the three rookies, Barnes has seen the least amount of time with the first-team offense, but it sounds like the team’s focus for him has been developing his versatility.
Unlike Barnes, Brailsford is reportedly seen only as a center, but that hasn’t stopped him from seeing his fair share of first-team reps. With presumed starting center Elgton Jenkins and fellow center Luke Wypler both not practicing, Brailsford has benefitted with a good amount of time on the first-team offense. Jenkins is still working his way back from the broken leg that ended his 2025 campaign, while Wypler is recovering from a knee injury.
Realistically, only Fano is expected to earn a starting job in his first year of NFL play, but Brailsford and Barnes both have big opportunities in front of them, if they can impress in these early looks. With Wypler and Jones on expiring deals in 2026, both rookies will be given the chance to convince the team to allow the veterans to walk in free agency.
Latest On Browns, DE Myles Garrett
Joe Thomas was content to stay in Cleveland for the duration of his career despite the team fielding perennially bad rosters during the Hall of Fame tackle’s run. This situation involved the All-Pro being discussed in trades in his early 30s.
Thomas’ age-31 season nearly saw him moved to the Broncos, but the Browns stood down. Thomas said ahead of the 2016 trade deadline he wanted to stay in Cleveland, and a new Browns regime — one that had current GM Andrew Berry as a key front office presence — did not move the decorated left tackle. These decisions came during a 4-44 stretch. Thomas retired after the 2017 season, never being part of a Browns playoff team.
Myles Garrett will turn 31 later this year, and while the Browns have not been nearly as bad during his career (which has featured two playoff berths), the two-time Defensive Player of the Year is trapped as a dominant performer on one of the NFL’s worst teams. That brings a familiar situation for the Browns.
Garrett also requested a trade early during the 2025 offseason. The Berry-led Browns have continually stood against moving their future Hall of Fame pass rusher, who backed off his trade ask once the team gave him a then-defender-record four-year, $160MM extension. The team did not move Garrett’s new contract after emerging in a seller’s position at yet another trade deadline, and he proceeded to break the single-season sack record weeks later.
Garrett’s contract has since been surpassed by four edge rushers — T.J. Watt, Micah Parsons, Aidan Hutchinson, Will Anderson Jr. — as the market has climbed to $50MM per year. We heard earlier this year another Garrett raise would be more likely than a trade, but Cleveland’s decision to rework the 10th-year veteran’s contract this offseason triggered trade speculation.
The Browns shifted Garrett option bonus dates from March until just before the regular season from 2026-28. For 2026, that means a $29.2MM guaranteed payment is due seven days before Week 1. June 1 also looms as a key date pertaining to the Browns, and Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer writes a trade after that point should not be ruled out.
Some execs around the NFL are also interpreting Garrett’s absence from Browns OTAs as a sign of the player regretting his decision to sign a 2025 extension with the struggling team, Sportsboom.com’s Jason La Canfora notes. (To be fair, Garrett has missed Browns OTA work in the past as well.) Garrett has voiced frustration about the Browns’ losing at several points. Days before he set the single-season sack record, the former No. 1 overall pick said he wants to contend rather than rebuild.
Given his age, that stance is unsurprising. Garrett has also seen the Browns pass on adding a quarterback this offseason, with an uninspiring Deshaun Watson–Shedeur Sanders position battle commencing. The Browns are not expected to contend this season, and our Adam La Rose indicated during a recent PFR mailbag a trade would be the best course of action for the Browns in order to equip them with prime draft assets. Todd Monken — who was the Browns’ OC during Garrett’s abbreviated (due to the Mason Rudolph helmet strike) 2019 season — has since revealed he has not spoken with Garrett since being hired as head coach.
From a value standpoint, the Browns erred by not trading Thomas late in his career. An additional first-round pick and perhaps more would have been unlikely to save that version of the Browns, and a case can be made moving Garrett would create a massive hole for the foreseeable future. But the Browns may need more draft ammo to chase a long-term QB option. Garrett would bring back at least a first-rounder in a trade, and given what the Ravens were set to send the Raiders for Maxx Crosby (two firsts), Cleveland would assuredly ask for at least that for a player coming off a 23-sack season.
The Browns trading Garrett after June 1 would lessen their 2026 dead money blow to $15.53MM, per OverTheCap, while creating more than $8MM in cap space. However, the team would see a bigger dead money hit in 2027 — when the Watson dead cap offseasons will begin (assuming the Browns designate Watson as a post-June 1 cut next year, which appears likely, it will bring an $86.2MM dead money bill split between 2027 and ’28).
Adding Garrett dead money would create a more daunting task for Monken, who will presumably be the coach stuck with the Watson dead money after Kevin Stefanski coached the Browns with the QB on lower cap hits via restructures. But the Browns are running out of time to cash out on their top asset. Garrett’s contract runs through 2030, but given the changes on the EDGE market since that deal was finalized, it is likely he will be asking for a raise in the near future. That will presumably also impact teams’ desire to trade for him.
Offering some pushback to Garrett trade rumors, TheLandonDemand.com’s Tony Grossi does not expect the all-world sack artist to be moved after June 1. However, Grossi does acknowledge the rumors will persist due to the recent contract rework. With more Crosby rumors likely coming between now and the deadline, Garrett interest is undoubtedly set to commence as well.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/27/26
Wednesday’s minor NFL transactions:
Buffalo Bills
- Waived: TE Max Tomczak
Cleveland Browns
- Reverted to IR: CB DeCarlos Nicholson
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Jackson Sirmon
- Waived: CB Jeremiah McClendon
New York Giants
- Waived: G Reid Holskey
New York Jets
- Signed: T Courtland Ford
- Waived: LB Kendrick Blackshire
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Brandon Hayes
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: WR Trayvon Rudolph
It’s a family reunion in New Orleans, where Sirmon will join the position room coached by his father, Saints linebackers coach Peter Sirmon. The two worked together in a similar manner when Peter served as inside linebackers coach and defensive coordinator at Cal. Jackson spent the first two years of his career on the Jets’ practice squad as an undrafted free agent and will now head to New Orleans for Year 3.
After trading for wide receiver/special teamer Irv Charles earlier today, the Seahawks have waived Rudolph, an undrafted rookie, to make room on the roster.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/26/26
Today’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Tyron Herring
- Waived/injured: CB DeCarlos Nicholson
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB K.C. Ossai
K.C. Ossai is back with the Texans. The Louisiana product joined Houston as an UDFA last offseason but didn’t make the 53-man roster. He caught on with the Dolphins practice squad late in the year and was retained via a reserve/futures contract, but he was cut by Miami earlier this month. The linebacker had a standout collegiate career with the Ragin’ Cajuns, including a 2024 campaign where he tallied 115 tackles.
Browns HC Todd Monken Addresses Team’s QB1 Battle
The Browns’ next franchise passer does not appear to be on the roster yet, but for now, Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders are competing for the starting quarterback job. While Sanders appeared to have the leg up on his veteran teammate earlier this spring, more recent reporting has suggested Watson will be under center in Week 1.
Watson and Sanders were still splitting first-team reps when OTAs opened last week, as ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi observes. Head coach Todd Monken previously expressed his preference to have a QB1 in place by the start of training camp, though he acknowledged that the depth chart could change throughout the course of the preseason slate.
Echoing those sentiments during OTAs, Monken said (via Oyefusi), “[y]ou’d love to have [an established depth chart] at every position at the end of spring, but you can’t guarantee that. We’ll have it set for Jacksonville [in Week 1].”
The first-year HC was predictably complimentary of both participants in the starting QB battle. With respect to Sanders, Monken said, “I think Shedeur’s come miles, in terms of his progressions, getting the ball out, his understanding of concepts. I think he’s really, really come a long way.”
Sanders, 24, dealt with plenty of growing pains as a rookie in 2025. He connected on 56.5% of passes, averaged 6.6 yards per attempt, and threw more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (seven). He posted a poor 68.1 traditional passer rating and an even worse 18.9 QBR in the process. On the other hand, it would not have been surprising to see him selected in the first round of last year’s draft, so if there is more than standard coach-speak to Monken’s comments, perhaps the former Colorado standout is on track for a breakthrough season.
Watson, who will turn 31 in September, has largely disappointed when on the field during his much-maligned Cleveland tenure, and a ruptured (and later re-ruptured) Achilles has kept him out of game action since Week 7 of the 2024 campaign. He did return to practice in the latter stages of the ‘25 slate, and he has since received full medical clearance. In addition to praising Sanders’ growth, Monken offered an encouraging update with respect to Watson’s health.
“Deshaun’s athleticism shows up,” Monken said. “Obviously he’s had that, but he’s had injuries that have set him back. I wouldn’t say it’s a surprise, but it’s exciting to see — it’s a weapon for him. It’s one of his superpowers, his athleticism.”
The Browns did select Taylen Green in the sixth round of this year’s draft, but they otherwise have focused on building up the rest of their roster in the hopes that – unless Watson or Sanders surprises in the upcoming season – they can drop a top 2027 draftee or quality veteran acquisition into a competitive lineup next year. Neither Green nor 2025 third-rounder Dillon Gabriel are candidates for the QB1 gig at the moment.
Jimmy Haslam Played ‘Active Role’ In Browns’ 2022 Deshaun Watson Trade
No NFL transaction has defined a team’s 2020s on a level in which the Deshaun Watson trade/extension sequence shaped the Browns’ decade. The catastrophic misstep has produced nothing resembling Watson’s Texans form and is poised to clog Cleveland’s cap sheet through 2028.
Although Watson is only under contract for one more season, the Browns’ spree of restructures on the QB’s deal have them positioned to designate the high-priced player as a post-June 1 cut in 2027. That is projected to spread $86.2MM in dead money between 2027 and 2028, running the Watson contract’s time on Cleveland’s payroll to seven years.
Not long after the Browns made the decision to part with three first-round picks, two third-rounders and a fourth for Watson and a sixth, Jimmy Haslam said GM Andrew Berry devised the plan to give the quarterback a fully guaranteed contract. That offer rocketed the Browns back in the Watson sweepstakes, after he previously eliminated them during a process that appeared set to produce a Falcons commitment from the Georgia native. But the five-year, $230MM pact swayed the embattled passer.
That became a massive mistake on the Browns’ part. The team’s decision to part with the assets it did — as the first team to trade three future firsts for a QB since the 1976 49ers (Jim Plunkett) — and sign off on the fully guaranteed deal has made it widely viewed as the worst transaction in NFL history. Haslam even said last year the Watson trade was a “swing and miss,” though the owner walked that back a bit this offseason — as an interesting push for the QB to start again has taken place.
Although Berry was the front office point man at the time Watson was acquired, an ESPN.com report indicates Haslam played an “active role” in doing background work that led to the trade. Haslam, who famously pushed for the Browns’ Johnny Manziel pick in the 2014 first round, obviously needed to approve the historic transaction. But the owner being part of the process that led to it offers an interesting wrinkle in this seminal move, even if he credited/blamed Berry for hatching the scheme to convince Watson to commit to Cleveland.
Haslam doing background work is also not especially surprising, considering Watson had been hit with dozens of sexual misconduct allegations over the previous year, but this piece of information does shine a light on ownership influence in the NFL. Two of the Browns’ three playoff berths since respawning in 1999 have come during the Haslam era, but the organization also completed an astonishing 4-44 stretch during Haslam’s first decade in charge — a period that brought a run of GM and HC changes. The Browns have followed their 2023 playoff berth with an 8-26 record.
The Browns had not extended a head coach or general manager under Haslam until he authorized re-ups for Berry and Kevin Stefanski in 2024. Haslam has since fired Stefanski, making the interesting move to keep Berry at the helm despite his fingerprints being on the Watson disaster. It is worth wondering how active the owner was in bringing Watson to Ohio; Berry remaining on the job four-plus years after that trade would seem to suggest the GM was not solely responsible for the decision.
Berry said in 2024 Browns brass was aligned on the Watson trade. Stefanski had said earlier that season, before Watson’s first Achilles tear, he was not being forced by ownership to keep starting the wildly ineffective QB. Watson spent the 2025 season, after a second Achilles tear, out of the picture but has moved back to the forefront in Cleveland thanks to his competition with Shedeur Sanders for the Browns’ QB job. Haslam’s fingerprints on the team’s 2026 QB plan make for an interesting storyline to follow as the Browns enter what is likely their final year with Watson on the roster.
AFC Staff Updates: Merritt, Watts, Browns, Colts
A month ago, Chiefs cornerbacks coach David Merritt was arrested and charged with misdemeanor domestic battery. According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Merritt’s case was dismissed by the District Court of Johnson County.
At the time of Merritt’s arrest on the Kansas side of the border, no details accompanied the news to explain his arrest and charging, but the former NFL linebacker pleaded not guilty once given the opportunity in court as the Chiefs chose not to comment on the situation. Merritt’s attorney, Ryan Ginie, informed Garafolo that the District Attorney’s office “looked at (the case) a little more thoroughly and reviewed some additional information” before they “agreed it was a matter that should be dismissed.”
Following the case’s dismissal, the Chiefs are set to continue the offseason with their assistant coach of the past seven years. Merritt has helped coach a secondary unit on a defense that has routinely finished in the top half of the league in pass defense.
Here are a few other staff updates from around the AFC:
- After leaving Pittsburgh in March, veteran scout Chris Watts reportedly turned to the collegiate ranks of the game, joining the University of Texas “in a player personnel capacity,” per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. Watts is coming off a four-year stay with the Steelers following a 15-year stint in the Giants’ front office. Watts scouted the Longhorns in his coverage of the south area for the Steelers, and he also has some experience working for the Senior Bowl.
- The Browns have added a veteran presence to their front office, hiring Mike Derice as their new mid-Atlantic area scout, according to Neil Stratton of SucceedInFootball.com. Derice wasn’t with a team in 2025, but before his short sabbatical, he had gathered a combined 13 years of experience working with the Giants and Colts. He returns to work following a surprising parting of ways with New York a year ago.
- The Colts made a minor addition to their data/analytics group earlier this month. Per ESPN’s Seth Walder, Sam Swift was hired as a football data analyst in Indianapolis. Swift will be working his first full-time NFL position after interning with the Bills last year and working as a recruiting assistant as he finished school at the University of Iowa.
Deshaun Watson Open To Staying With Browns Beyond 2026; Team Showed Malik Willis Interest
Lacking an answer at the game’s most important position, the Browns stood out as potential suitors for quarterback Malik Willis before free agency opened. The former Tennessee and Green Bay backup ultimately landed in Miami on a three-year, $67.5MM deal. Cleveland had interest, but not at that price, Daniel Oyefusi and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN report.
For the Browns, signing the unproven Willis would have meant adding another expensive QB contract, albeit a far more affordable one than they gave Deshaun Watson in 2022. The fully guaranteed five-year, $230MM pact they handed Watson after acquiring him from the Texans has been a crippling mistake, as has the decision to part with a package headlined by three first-round picks. Watson has started just 19 games as a member of the Browns, who have restructured his onerous deal on a handful of occasions.
Watson’s contract is down to its final season, but he will continue to significantly impact their books for two more years after that. He will count a combined $86.2MM in dead money against their cap from 2027-28. There is a strong chance Watson will be off the Browns’ roster a year from now, though a source close to the three-time Pro Bowler told Oyefusi and Fowler “he would be open to” staying in Cleveland if the upcoming season goes well.
It is very much up in the air if the Browns will get anything from the soon-to-be 31-year-old Watson in 2026. He will first have to outperform second-year man Shedeur Sanders in the Browns’ starting competition this summer. That may not be an especially tall order, as Sanders is far from a lock to develop into a legitimate No. 1 option, but Watson is coming off a severe injury. Watson last took the field on Oct. 20, 2024, when he ruptured his right Achilles. While rehabbing in January 2025, Watson ruptured it again. He spent all of last season on the PUP list as a result, leaving the Browns to divide 17 starts among Sanders, Joe Flacco (traded to the Bengals in October) and Dillon Gabriel during a 5-12 campaign.
The Browns spent a third-rounder on Gabriel last year and used a sixth-rounder on Taylen Green last month, but those two do not appear to be in the running for the No. 1 job in 2026. New head coach Todd Monken will decide between Watson and Sanders. The hope is Watson will perform better in Monken’s system than he did under previous head coach Kevin Stefanski.
“The way [Stefanski] wanted him to play didn’t fit his style,” the source close to Watson told Oyefusi and Fowler.
As Oyefusi and Fowler note, Monken runs more of a spread-oriented scheme. Maybe the coaching change and a return to health will revive Watson, but skepticism is warranted for a QB whose stock has plummeted over the past few years.