Cleveland Browns News & Rumors

Execs Predict Browns Will Trade Garrett

Every indication out of Cleveland is that the Browns do not want to trade Myles Garrett, but other teams believe they will have to oblige his request.

Four executives think that the Browns will deal Garrett this offseason, according to Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post. Philadelphia was mentioned multiple times as a potential landing spot, citing Browns general manager Andrew Berry‘s history with Eagles GM Howie Roseman. Berry spent the 2019 season as the Eagles’ vice president of football operations under Roseman before returning to Cleveland for his current job.

One AFC general manager predicted that the Browns could receive two first-round picks, though Berry has previously said that compensation wouldn’t soften their anti-trade stance. However, with the Eagles picking 31st overall in 2025 and likely a similar spot in 2026, their picks may be less valuable relative to what other teams can offer.

Ultimately, a trade is unlikely to come together quickly. Unless the Browns – who already hold the No. 2 overall pick in April’s draft – really want to add more 2025 draft capital, they’re incentivized to wait until after June 1 to move Garrett.

As of right now, Cleveland is projected to be more than $30MM over the 2025 salary cap, per OverTheCap. They can create enough space with a few restructures, but moving Garrett would set them back further. So much of his money has been prorated into the future that a pre-June 1 trade would result in a $16.5MM decrease in salary cap space. The Browns would have to eat all $36.2MM of dead money in 2025, while a post-June 1 trade would allow them to divide it between two years.

An early trade offer, therefore, would have to blow the Browns out of the water to make it worth the cap gymnastics required to facilitate the deal. Cleveland could also be hoping that they can improve the roster enough this offseason to convince Garrett to stick around.

2025 NFL Cap Space, By Team

Free agency is roughly one month away, and teams are preparing for the first major roster-building checkpoint on the offseason calendar. In several cases, of course, the lead-in to the start of the new league year will require cost-cutting measures.

Teams expect the 2025 cap ceiling to check in somewhere between $265MM and $275MM, providing a general target to aim for before the final figure is unveiled by the NFL. Using a projected cap of $272.5MM, here is a look at where all 32 teams currently stand (courtesy of Over the Cap):

  1. New England Patriots: $119.8MM
  2. Las Vegas Raiders: $92.53MM
  3. Washington Commanders: $75.21MM
  4. Arizona Cardinals: $71.33MM
  5. Los Angeles Chargers: $63.41MM
  6. Chicago Bears: $62.97MM
  7. Minnesota Vikings: $58.01MM
  8. Pittsburgh Steelers: $53.26MM
  9. Cincinnati Bengals: $46.26MM
  10. Detroit Lions: $45.69MM
  11. San Francisco 49ers: $44.26MM
  12. Tennessee Titans: $44.08MM
  13. New York Giants: $43.38MM
  14. Green Bay Packers: $42.14MM
  15. Los Angeles Rams: $38.33MM
  16. Denver Broncos: $34.78MM
  17. Jacksonville Jaguars: $32.27MM
  18. Indianapolis Colts: $28.25MM
  19. Carolina Panthers: $20.33MM
  20. Philadelphia Eagles: $18.08MM
  21. New York Jets: $16.86MM
  22. Baltimore Ravens: $5.96MM
  23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $2.24MM
  24. Houston Texans: $99K over the cap
  25. Kansas City Chiefs: $916K over
  26. Dallas Cowboys: $2.85MM over
  27. Miami Dolphins: $5.44MM over
  28. Atlanta Falcons: $11.15MM over
  29. Seattle Seahawks: $13.46MM over
  30. Buffalo Bills: $14.18MM over
  31. Cleveland Browns: $30.17MM over
  32. New Orleans Saints: $54.11MM over

These figures will of course change based on where the final cap ceiling winds up for the year, but they take into account each team’s carryover amount for 2025. Even with those savings in play, more than one quarter of the league finds itself in need of cost-shedding moves to simply achieve cap compliance by mid-March.

With the Patriots leading the way in terms of spending power, they will be a team to watch closely once free agency begins. The team’s willingness (or lack thereof) to make major free agent additions last year was a talking point, and it will be interesting to see if the regime featuring de facto general manager Eliot Wolf and new head coach Mike Vrabel takes a different approach in 2025. A serious push for Tee Higgins – by far the most sought-after wideout set to hit the market – can be expected.

Aside from Higgins, the Bengals have a number of financial priorities. Working out a monster extension for fellow receiver Ja’Marr Chase and a new deal (and accompanying raise) for edge rusher Trey Hendrickson are key goals for the franchise. Quarterback Joe Burrow is prepared to restructure his own pact to create cap space for this offseason, but the team will no doubt need to break with tradition in terms of contract structure and guarantees to keep its core intact.

The Colts’ offseason has been defined in large part by a focus on retaining in-house players during recent years. That approach has not paid off as hoped, and general manager Chris Ballard said last month he plans to oversee a shift in roster-building philosophy this year. With the finances to make at least a modest addition or two on the open market, Indianapolis could be a suitor for some of the middle-class free agent options.

Over the coming weeks, many teams will proceed with extensions and restructures to free up cap space; the Seahawks recently took the latter route with defensive lineman Leonard Williams. Teams like the Steelers (in the case of edge rusher Preston Smith) and Dolphins (with running back Raheem Mostert as well as corner Kendall Fuller and tight end Durham Smythe) have already begin cutting veterans to free up cap space. That will increasingly continue in the near future with respect to the teams currently slated to be over the cap in particular.

AFC North Coaching Updates: Ravens, Browns, Steelers

The Ravens defense got off to a slow start last year, and though they were able to finish strong down the stretch, disappointing veteran safeties and underwhelming linebacker play contributed to the team finishing second to last in pass defense. The team hired Tyler Santucci to act as the new linebackers coach after moving on from Mark DeLeone, and they continue to make changes to defensive coordinator Zach Orr‘s coaching staff.

Assisting Santucci will be Matt Pees, who has been named assistant inside linebackers coach, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Pees rejoins his father, senior advisor Dean Pees, after working under him for two years in Atlanta. After three years as defensive assistant for the Falcons, the younger Pees spent 2024 as a defensive analyst (advance/special projects) for the Bears.

In the secondary, the team has moved on from secondary coach Doug Mallory, per Zrebiec. Replacing him, in a sense, will be Donald D’Alesio, according to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, who has been with the Chiefs for four seasons, the last three as safeties coach. In his three years at the job, he molded Bryan Cook and Justin Reid into starters. He’ll now work with star safety Kyle Hamilton and whomever the team brings in (or back) to play alongside him. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that D’Alesio’s title will be defensive backs coach.

Here are a few more coaching updates from around the AFC North:

  • The Browns announced a number of changes to their coaching staff yesterday. We already were aware of the additions of tight ends coach Christian Jones and assistant defensive line coach Adam Morris, as well as the shifting of Bill Musgrave to quarterbacks coach. The new information includes the shifting of assistant special teams coach Stephen Bravo-Brown to assistant wide receivers coach and offensive assistant/run game specialist Nick Charlton to pass game specialist. Additionally, Cleveland has hired Ben Wilkerson as assistant offensive line coach after he served in the same role for the Jets last year before being let go. Joining Wilkerson as an assistant offensive line coach is Sanders Davis. Davis has spent the last six seasons at Rice University, with the last four being as offensive line coach. This will be his first NFL coaching job. Lastly, Kyle Hoke has been hired as assistant special teams coach. A 13-year veteran of collegiate coaching, Hoke will debut in the NFL, after stops at Western Michigan, Army, South Carolina, John Carroll, Texas State, Indiana State, San Diego State, and Texas A&M.
  • The Ravens aren’t the only AFC North team making changes to their secondary and linebacker coaching staffs. We learned a week ago that Gerald Alexander was being hired as the Steelers secondary coach, and we questioned the fate of sitting secondary coach Grady Brown. ESPN’s Brooke Pryor informed us this week that Brown’s contract was not renewed. The Steelers saw inside linebackers coach Aaron Curry depart for New York, and per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, they will replace him with Scott McCurley. McCurley spent most of his coaching career in Green Bay from 2006-18 before eventually following Mike McCarthy to Dallas, where he spent the past five seasons coaching the likes of Leighton Vander Esch, Jaylon Smith, DeMarvion Overshown, and, of course, Micah Parsons.

Sources Expect Titans To Trade No. 1 Overall Pick; Latest On Browns’, Giants’ QB Plans

FEBRUARY 14: The Titans are still trending towards trading the first overall pick in the 2025 Draft.

Of a panel of eight executives, coaches, and scouts, five believe that Tennessee will trade down to add more draft capital, per ESPN’s Turron Davenport, while three believe that they will stay at No. 1 and, most likely, pick a quarterback.

Their decision represents competing beliefs about how to utilize the top pick in the draft while rebuilding a franchise. Multiple members of the panel pointed out that the Titans’ roster needs go far beyond a quarterback. Trading back would allow them to build a better long-term situation for a future franchise signal-caller.

However, the first overall pick is a rare opportunity, and six of the last seven have been used on a quarterback.

“You have to make it count and get your quarterback,” said one assistant coach. “I think that’s what the Titans will do. Keep the top pick and draft Cam Ward.”

FEBRUARY 9: New Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi already indicated during his introductory press conference several weeks ago that his club is open to the possibility of trading the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft. Multiple sources tell ESPN’s Dan Graziano they believe Tennessee will do just that (subscription required).

The logic to a trade-down maneuver is clear. The Titans have plenty of holes to fill on their roster, and unless they become convinced one of the top signal-caller prospects in this year’s draft class (Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward) is their surefire QB of the future, moving down to collect additional draft capital makes plenty of sense. 

Of course, Borgonzi & Co. are doing their due diligence on Sanders and Ward, and president of football operations Chad Brinker – who has final say over personnel matters, although Borgonzi will run the draft – indicated the team will not pass on a generational talent with the No. 1 pick. In other words, even if the Titans do not think highly enough of Sanders or Ward to make one of them the top overall pick in April, a non-QB blue-chipper like Travis Hunter could still convince Tennessee to retain its coveted position atop the draft board.

If the Titans do not select a QB with their first choice, regardless of where that selection might fall, Graziano notes that a free agent passer like Sam Darnold or Justin Fields could be in play. Or, Tennessee could simply elect to give 2023 second-rounder Will Levis one more shot to prove that he can be the solution under center.

The Browns (No. 2 overall), Giants (No. 3), Raiders (No. 6), and Jets (No. 7) all profile as potential trading partners for the Titans. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who confirms that Tennessee brass is keeping an open mind here, adds the Saints (No. 9) to the list of teams that could engage in trade talks.

Cleveland would not have to move too far up the board to assure itself of its top choice of quarterback prospects, and as Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network (video link) reiterates, the Browns are expected to draft a passer and would have done so even if Deshaun Watson had not suffered a second Achilles tear that puts his 2025 season in jeopardy. Per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (subscription required), Browns GM Andrew Berry believes a long-term starter can be found in this year’s much-maligned crop of collegiate QBs, even beyond the Sanders/Ward tier (although Berry naturally would not suggest otherwise at this point). 

Pelissero adds that, no matter when Berry plans to pull the trigger on a college quarterback, Cleveland is also expected to add a veteran at the position. He names Kirk Cousins and Daniel Jones as players to watch in that scenario.

In the same video link cited above, Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network says the Giants – whose only QB under contract at the moment is Tommy DeVito – will likewise be active in the veteran signal-caller market in advance of the draft. Garafolo confirms Darnold will be an option for Big Blue, and the team could again be on Russell Wilson’s radar (a sentiment echoed by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (see Graziano link above)). 

Giants owner John Mara said last month he is open to resolving his club’s QB concerns with a veteran and/or a draft pick, though he appeared to suggest a prospect was the preferred route. Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post believes Mara’s team will try to move up to either the No. 1 or No. 2 slot to select a quarterback, and Dan Duggan of The Athletic thinks there is a good chance the Titans and Giants will strike a No. 1-for-No. 3 swap.

QB Jameis Winston Wants To Re-Sign With Browns

Jameis Winston is among the veteran quarterbacks set to hit free agency in March. Given the way his Browns tenure ended in 2024, a strong market of outside teams may not be in place provided he finds himself on the move this spring. If Winston has his way, though, he will remain in Cleveland for 2025.

“I would love to go back there,” he said during an appearance on Up & Adams (via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot). “Cleveland was better than what I expected. Cleveland has the best 90 days of anywhere in the world.”

The former No. 1 pick spent the first nine years of his career in the NFC South (five with the Buccaneers, four with the Saints) before taking a one-year Browns deal last offseason. That $4MM pact gave the team veteran insurance behind Deshaun Watson on the depth chart, something which became significant when he suffered a season-ending Achilles tear.

Watson’s absence opened the door for Winston to take over QB1 duties over a seven-game stretch. The 31-year-old topped 300 passing yards three times over that span – including a 497-yard outing against the Broncos – but his 12 interceptions helped inform the team’s decision to take a different direction to close out the campaign. Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Bailey Zappe took over the rest of the way, a sign Cleveland would prefer to move on from Winston this offseason.

Since then, Watson has suffered a second Achilles tear, leaving his 2025 availability in doubt. Thompson-Robinson is on the books for next season, but the team is expected to be in the market for at least one new passer via trade or free agency in the near future. Failing that, the draft will become an area of focus at that position. The Browns own the No. 2 pick, and their evaluation of the top prospects will include a visit with Shedeur Sanders.

Winston made it clear earlier this month that he would be on board with a Giants pact, one which could allow him to operate as a bridge starter depending on how the team operates during the draft. New York also has a Sanders visit lined up, and by means of owning the No. 3 selection the team could be in play for adding him or Cam Ward during the first round. The Giants will no doubt be connected to other passers this spring, though, and it remains to be seen if a reciprocal interest will exist as it pertains to Winston.

The Florida State product has said in the past he still views himself as being capable of operating as a full-time starter in the NFL. Considering his Cleveland performances in 2024, it is difficult to envision an unchallenged opportunity atop a depth chart coming Winston’s way. If the Browns offer him a new deal, though, a second season with the team will become likely.

Shedeur Sanders Lines Up Visits With Browns, Giants

The NFL’s annual Scouting Combine is approaching, and the evaluation of the top prospects will be centered on the event when it takes place. After its conclusion, though, attention will turn to pre-draft visits.

Teams are permitted up to 30 visits with prospects in the period after the Combine and before the draft. Given the lack of high-end quarterbacks available in 2025, one of the top storylines will be how teams near the top of the board operate with respect to Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders. The latter already has his first two visits on the books.

Sanders revealed in a video posted by Well Off Media (operated by his brother, Deion Sanders Jr.) that he is set to meet with the Browns and Giants. That comes as no surprise considering the uncertainty both teams face under center. Cleveland is set to select second overall in April’s draft, while New York owns the No. 3 pick.

Deshaun Watson will remain with the Browns for 2025, but his second Achilles tear has created the strong possibility he will miss most (potentially all) of the coming season. Cleveland has Dorian Thompson-Robinson on the books, while Jameis Winston and Bailey Zappe are pending unrestricted and restricted free agents, respectively. The first round of the draft would offer the opportunity of adding a long-term Watson successor, but even if a Myles Garrett trade does not take place Cleveland’s roster has other notable holes.

Once the Giants elected to move on from Daniel Jonesit was clear they would be in the market for a draft addition. Indeed, the team is one to watch closely regarding a possible trade-up maneuver to secure either Sanders or Ward. New York could make a notable veteran addition before the draft, but especially if that does not take place adding either of the class’ top signal-callers in the first round would be expected.

The Titans own the No. 1 pick, and given the opportunity to add a Will Levis replacement they are of course looking heavily into their options. Tennessee has been connected to moving down the board given the relative lack of surefire prospects in the 2025 class, but the same is also true of the rest of the teams slated to select in the top five. How the Browns and Giants view Sanders will of course be central in determining the direction they go in come Day 1 of the draft.

Sanders followed his father from Jackson State to Colorado, putting himself on the round one radar in 2023. This past season, he posted 4,134 yards and a 37:10 touchdown-to-interception ratio along with a 74% completion percentage. Those figures helped him earn Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors and led to an eighth-place finish in Heisman voting. Concerns have been raised about the impact Deion Sanders will have with whichever team selects Shedeur, but his son – who did not practice or play in the Shrine Bowl – said he does not have a preferred destination at this point.

“Out of the teams [reportedly interested], there’s not really one that I’m looking forward to, there’s not really one I’m looking past,” he said (via NFL.com). “It’s all about the process. The teams picking me, I don’t really have much of a say on that.”

Teams Picking In Top-Five May Look To Trade Back

While there’s some belief that the Titans will move the No. 1 pick, they may not be the only team atop the draft board looking to make moves. Albert Breer of SI.com believes every team in the top five will at least entertain the idea of trading back.

[RELATED: Sources Expect Titans To Trade No. 1 Overall Pick]

All of these squads (which includes the Browns (No. 2), Giants (No. 3), Patriots (No. 4), and Jaguars (No. 5)) have plenty of reasons to justify a trade. Each of these teams won’t suddenly vault into contention (or even mediocrity) with just their first-round selection, and picking up additional assets may help them fill out their respective rosters. While these organizations may not be able to get a haul, they could still snag a foundational piece while picking up additional draft picks.

However, Breer also notes that this is partly an indictment on the draft class. Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter are generally considered the draft’s only blue-chip prospects. Teams like the Patriots and Jaguars already have their answers at quarterback, and if those front offices believe they’re out of realistic range for Carter/Hunter, it may make sense to move back and pick up extra pieces.

Further, the draft’s QB depth may convince some teams to pivot. Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders appear to be in their own tier among prospects, but neither of the impending rookies are believed to be generational, can’t-miss players. Instead of reaching for a QB they’re not enamored with, it could make sense for a team like the Giants to target a different position (or maybe a different quarterback) via a trade down the board.

Of course, each of those concerns will work against the teams picking in the top-five. As Breer notes, rival teams may not be as eager to trade up for any of the non-blue-chip prospects. There will surely be suitors, but the offers may not be lucrative enough to convince any of those top-five squads to move on.

It’s pretty common to see at least one top-five squad move off of their original draft position, but we’ve also seen a recent trend of front offices holding on to their best draft assets. Between 2019 and 2022, we only saw one top-five pick change hands (with the 2021 third-overall pick being swapped a few times before landing with the 49ers, who took Trey Lance). A handful of top-five 2023 picks were traded, but even the 2024 draft only saw the first-overall pick stray from its original team (which was a product of a trade involving the 2023 first-overall pick).

Coaching Notes: Shimko, Cowboys, Rams, Giants

The Cowboys continue to refine their offensive coaching staff. ESPN’s Todd Archer reports that the Cowboys will name Steve Shimko as their new quarterbacks coach.

After most recently serving as a Cowboys offensive assistant, Shimko is one of the main holdovers on Brian Schottenheimer‘s new staff. However, Shimko is plenty familiar with his new boss, as the two worked alongside each other in Seattle before reuniting in Dallas last year.

During that Seahawks stint, Shimko worked his way up from an offensive analyst into an assistant QBs coach. He left for Boston College in 2020, where he climbed the ranks from tight ends coach to quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator. He only had a one-year stint in that latter role before Bill O’Brien brought on a new staff.

Shimko will be replacing Scott Tolzien, who spent two years coaching Dak Prescott and the Cowboys quarterbacks.

More coaching notes from around the NFL…

  • Carlos Polk lost out on the Cowboys ST coordinator gig, but he’ll still land in Dallas as the team’s assistant special teams coach under Nick Sorensen, per Archer. Polk held this same role with the Cowboys in 2019, and he’s since held that title with the Jaguars (2021) and Bears (2022-2024). The former NFL linebacker has also had coaching stints with the Chargers and Buccaneers.
  • After losing Nick Caley to Houston, the Rams have found their new tight ends coach. The team has hired Scott Huff to lead the position grouping, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Huff had coaching stints at the University of Washington and Boise State before catching on with the Seahawks, where he spent last season coaching the offensive line. In Los Angeles, the coach will be responsible for a depth chart that’s currently led by Tyler Higbee and Colby Parkinson.
  • The Giants have added Chad Hall to their staff as an assistant quarterbacks coach, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Hall will reunite with Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen, as the trio worked alongside each other during their stints in Buffalo. A former NFL wide receiver, Hall coached that position with the Bills and Jaguars, but after eight years working up the ranks, he is now pivoting to the quarterbacks room.
  • Adam Morris has accepted a job as the Browns assistant defensive line coach, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. This is the coach’s first foray into the NFL, as he previously held jobs at Ball State, Eastern Illinois, and (most recently) the University at Buffalo. In that latter stop, Morris served as the defensive line coach/run game coordinator.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

With Super Bowl LIX in the books, the 2024 campaign has come to a close. The final first-round order for April’s draft is now set as a result.

All 32 teams currently own a Day 1 selection, leaving the door open to each one adding a prospect in the first round for the first time since expansion in 2002. Any number of trades will no doubt take place between now and the draft, though, and it will be interesting to see how teams maneuver in the lead-in to the event. Of course, Tennessee in particular will be worth watching closely with a move to sell off the No. 1 pick being seen as a distinct possibility.

A weak quarterback class will leave teams like the Titans, Browns, Giants and Raiders with plenty of key offseason decisions. The free agent and trade markets do not offer many short-term alternatives which are seen as surefire additions, and teams which do not make moves in March will rely on the incoming group of rookies as part of their efforts to find a long-term solution under center. The two prospects seen as the clear-cut top options in 2025, however, are two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter and Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2024 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. Playoff squads are slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular season record.

Here is a final look at the first-round order:

  1. Tennessee Titans (3-14)
  2. Cleveland Browns (3-14)
  3. New York Giants (3-14)
  4. New England Patriots (4-13)
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)
  6. Las Vegas Raiders (4-13)
  7. New York Jets (5-12)
  8. Carolina Panthers (5-12)
  9. New Orleans Saints (5-12)
  10. Chicago Bears (5-12)
  11. San Francisco 49ers (6-11)
  12. Dallas Cowboys (7-10)
  13. Miami Dolphins (8-9)
  14. Indianapolis Colts (8-9)
  15. Atlanta Falcons (8-9)
  16. Arizona Cardinals (8-9)
  17. Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
  18. Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
  20. Denver Broncos (10-7)
  21. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
  22. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
  23. Green Bay Packers (11-6)
  24. Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
  25. Houston Texans (10-7)
  26. Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
  27. Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
  28. Detroit Lions (15-2)
  29. Washington Commanders (12-5)
  30. Buffalo Bills (13-4)
  31. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)
  32. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)

Teams Calling Browns On Myles Garrett; Trade Still Considered Unlikely

Myles Garrett opened Super Bowl week with his public trade request. His situation remains a major league storyline, although the Browns still have no intention of dealing away the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year.

[RELATED: Denzel Ward Could Seek Trade If Browns Deal Garrett]

Garrett’s remarks in recent days have confirmed his desire to be moved is not a ploy to secure new guarantees on another Cleveland extension. Rather, the four-time All-Pro wants to join a contender, a situation the Browns are unlikely to find themselves in coming off a 3-14 campaign. Quick turnarounds can and do happen in the NFL, but suitors with a more established quarterback situation can sell themselves as more desirable destinations for the remainder of Garrett’s prime.

“Speaking with the management of the Browns, at this current time, I don’t feel like our future is aligned with winning right now,” the 29-year-old said on ESPN’s Sunday Countdown (video link). “That’s what I’m looking forward to doing at this stage of my career. I have a lot of love for northeast Ohio and a community that brought me into the league. But I want to get to contending and winning playoff games and be in games like [the Super Bowl].

Teams are believed to be willing to offer the Browns at least one first-round pick (potentially two) in the event the team changes its stance. That has not happened yet, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports interested teams do not expect their calls to result in serious traction on the trade front. Given the extent to which Garrett – who has two years left on his pact but no guaranteed money – is committed to a fresh start, though, interest could remain high in the build-up to the new league year in March.

Indeed, Dianna Russini of The Athletic writes teams from both conferences have been in touch with the Browns about the former No. 1 pick (subscription required). They have been informed a deal is still not under consideration, she adds, although Cleveland has apparently added “stay tuned” to the team’s response. Any number of suitors would be interested in at least exploring a trade on this front, and a bidding war could easily ensue amongst teams prepared to part with significant draft capital.

Garrett has amassed at least 10 sacks in each of the past seven years. The six-time Pro Bowler has added 107 tackles for loss over that span, one which has seen him cement his status as one of the best Browns in franchise history and one of the top defenders (regardless of position) in the league. If calls continue to come in, the possibility of a Garrett deal will remain a talking point around the NFL. It will be interesting to see if Cleveland’s front office will budge in the coming weeks or if this saga will stretch deep into the offseason.