Browns Trade Myles Garrett To Rams
JUNE 3: The third-rounder in 2029 is conditional, per Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. It will turn into a first-rounder if the Rams trade Garrett to a team in the Browns’ division, the AFC North.
JUNE 1, 11:20pm: 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.
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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 That request was rescinded when a then-record extension was worked out.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.
Falcons, Drake London Agree To Extension
The Falcons have locked in their top receiver for the foreseeable future. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the team has signed Drake London to a four-year extension.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter has the numbers. London’s four-year deal is worth $141MM and could reach $150MM via incentives. London will also earn $100MM in guaranteed money. That $35.25MM average annual salary is the highest in Falcons franchise history.
From a positional standpoint, London’s AAV will rank third behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba ($42.15MM) and Ja’Marr Chase ($40.25MM) and just ahead of Justin Jefferson ($35MM). The $141MM in total value also trails JSN and Chase and barely tops Jefferson’s $140MM. The $100MM in guaranteed money will rank behind all three of those aforementioned WRs and ties CeeDee Lamb for fourth at the position.
The eighth-overall pick in the 2022 draft, it took London a bit to emerge as a top-tier WR. Through his first two seasons, he averaged 70 catches for 885 yards and three touchdowns per season. However, he took his play to another level while receiving passes from Kirk Cousins in 2024. London finished that campaign with 100 catches for 1,271 yards and nine touchdowns. Despite that standout campaign, he didn’t agree to an extension with the Falcons last offseason, even as his fellow 2022 draftee Garrett Wilson received a lucrative new contract from the Jets.
London increase his yards-per-game mark to a career-high 76.6 in 2025. Since he was limited to only 12 games, his counting stats suffered as a result, with the 24-year-old finishing with 68 catches for 919 yards and seven touchdowns. Pro Football Focus still graded London as the league’s fifth-best WR.
This extension means the Falcons can count on some offensive continuity in the coming seasons. The team is currently navigating a QB competition between Michael Penix and Tua Tagovailoa, and that duo will be throwing to a revamped WR depth chart that includes new addition Jahan Dotson and old friend Olamide Zaccheaus. This extension assures London will be present throughout crucial offseason practices.
The Falcons will now turn their attention their other offensive star, as running back Bijan Robinson is also eligible for an extension. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo notes that it was a goal of the front office to extend their two main offensive weapons, and all focus will now turn to the first-team RB. The team could also look to extend tight end Kyle Pitts, who is currently attached to the franchise tag for the 2026 season.
Steelers To Extend OLB Nick Herbig
The Steelers have agreed to an extension with outside linebacker Nick Herbig, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. It’s a four-year, $100MM deal with $42MM in guaranteed money. He is now under contract through 2030.
Herbig, who joined the Steelers as a fourth-round pick in 2023, had been in position to reach free agency next year. While Herbig came up as a potential trade candidate before April’s draft, general manager Omar Khan made it known he wanted to extend the former Wisconsin Badger. Several weeks later, Khan has achieved his goal.
Herbig is now the third expensive edge defender in Pittsburgh, which also has T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith on pricey deals. The Steelers are spending $84MM along the edge, which ranks second behind the Texans’ $96MM, Mike Ginnitti of Spotrac notes. Watt, who is signed through 2028, is owed a guaranteed $32MM this year. Meanwhile, Highsmith is due a nonguaranteed $14.5MM this season. He could become a free agent after 2027.
With Watt and Highsmith playing prominent roles throughout Herbig’s career, the 24-year-old has only started in 11 of 45 games in the pros. To Herbig’s credit, though, he has put up impressive production when on the field. Having totaled 16 sacks and nine forced fumbles, Herbig is expected to receive more playing time under new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham in 2026.
Herbig played just 17% of defensive snaps as a rookie, but his snap share jumped under the former head coach-coordinator duo of Mike Tomlin and Teryl Austin from 2024-25. He was on the field for 50% of plays in 2024 and 60% last season, a year in which the Steelers went without Watt for three games as a result of a collapsed lung.
Herbig took advantage of an increase in usage for the AFC North champions, leading all edge defenders in pass rush win rate and piling up a career-high 7.5 sacks in 15 games (six starts). He also tallied three forced fumbles and set career bests in tackles (30), QB hits (18), pass deflections (three) and interceptions (one). Pro Football Focus ranked Herbig’s performance a stellar sixth among 119 qualified edge defenders (Highsmith and Watt were 12th and 31st, respectively). Superstars Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, Will Anderson, Aidan Hutchinson and Trey Hendrickson were the only players at the position who earned higher pass-rushing grades than Herbig.
With Herbig becoming the 10th current edge defender on a $100MM-plus contract, the 2027 free agent market has lost a big fish well in advance. Tuli Tuipulotu, Byron Young, Kayvon Thibodeaux, YaYa Diaby, Jermaine Johnson and Myles Murphy are still on track to become free agents in a year, but at least a few of those players will likely join Herbig in signing an extension this summer.
Now that Khan settled Herbig’s long-term future, his focus could turn to pending free agent cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Locking up the three-year starter is a priority for the Steelers, whose defense is currently the most expensive in the league.
Seahawks, Derick Hall Agree To Extension
The Seahawks have managed to take care of another extension priority well before training camp. Edge rusher Derick Hall has a new deal in place.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports team and player have finalized a three-year extension. The pact has a base value of $42MM and can reach a maximum of $46.5MM. Hall is set to collect $21MM guaranteed. Instead of spending the coming season as a pending free agent, he will now be under team control through 2029.
The Super Bowl champions expectedly saw Boye Mafe depart in free agency this spring. Hall would have been in danger of doing the same one year later, but he will remain in Seattle for the foreseeable future. The Auburn product saw a drop in defensive usage in 2025, although a return to a starting gig may now be in store.
The No. 37 pick of the 2023 draft was part of the package sent by Denver to Seattle as part of the Russell Wilson blockbuster in 2022. The Seahawks found a number of key contributors to build around via that swap, and Hall – taken with that selection – was one of them. He managed limited production as a rookie while handling backup duties before taking a notable step forward in both playing time and output in 2024.
That year, Hall notched eight sacks, 29 pressures and a pair of forced fumbles. A long-term run near the top of Seattle’s EDGE depth chart seemed to be in store, but the signing of DeMarcus Lawrence gave the team even more options in the pass rush department. Lawrence wound up working as a full-time starter during his debut Seahawks campaign, with Uchenna Nwosu also serving as a regular on defense. Hall, like Mafe, was relegated to part-time defensive duties during the regular season (although he posted two sacks and a forced fumble in Super Bowl LX).
Lawrence and Nwosu are still under contract for Seattle. The team also added Dante Fowler last month on a one-year pact. No draft investments were made along the edge, so those three, along with Hall, will be counted on to play key roles on the Seahawks’ vaunted defense. Considering the terms of this commitment, Hall can be expected to handle a notable workload during his age-25 season and beyond.
With an average annual value of $14MM, this extension is the most lucrative one for Seattle pass rushers as things stand. That figure falls well short of the upper echelon of a market which reached $50MM annually earlier this offseason, though. As the Seahawks aim to repeat as Super Bowl champions, the team will hope to gain value on an extension which could prove to be quite team-friendly over time.
Seattle already worked out a monster extension with receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba this spring, while another lucrative pact for cornerback Devon Witherspoon looms. There is still plenty of work to be done in the latter’s case, but another long-term agreement has nevertheless been reached with a different member of the team’s defense with plenty of time to spare.
Commanders Sign TE Anthony Firkser
The Commanders have added some reinforcement at tight end. The team announced that they’ve signed veteran TE Anthony Firkser. To make room on the roster, the Commanders cut WR Ja’Corey Brooks.
Washington will represent the seventh team of Firkser’s career. The 2017 UDFA spent his first season bouncing around the NFL before he landed a gig with the Titans ahead of the 2018 campaign. He ended up spending four seasons in Tennessee, hauling in 106 catches in 58 games (three starts). His best showing came in 2020 when he hauled in 39 receptions for 387 yards and one touchdown.
Since his Titans stint ended after the 2021 season, Firkser has been on a tour of the league. He’s since had stints with the Falcons, Patriots, Lions (twice), Jets, and Chiefs. He’s coming off a 2025 campaign that he mostly spent in Detroit, where he caught eight passes for 53 yards.
The 31-year-old will face an uphill battle to make Washington’s 53-man roster. The Commanders seem set with their grouping of Chig Okonkwo, John Bates, and Ben Sinnott, but Firkser could potentially push for a spot as a fourth TE and special teamer.
Brooks joined the Commanders as a UDFA ahead of the 2025 season. He spent the majority of his rookie year on Washington’s practice squad, including a stint on the injured list. He was retained via a reserve/futures contract back in January.
Eagles Release DE Brandon Graham
Brandon Graham‘s latest stint with the Eagles has come to an end, but it might not take long for the defensive end to work his way back on the roster. Zach Berman of The Athletic reports that the Eagles have released the 38-year-old.
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However, Berman describes this as a “procedural” move. Graham inked a one-year deal last October that ended his temporary retirement. That pact was set to expire on June 3 unless the two sides worked out a new deal. A contract apparently didn’t come to fruition before the deadline, resulting in today’s release. Berman notes that Graham is still interested in returning to Philly for another season.
Graham has logged 215 appearances (106 starts) during his career, all of which has been spent with the Eagles. Since being selected in the first round of the 2010 draft, the defensive lineman has tallied 79.5 sacks and 128 tackles for loss. He’s also won a pair of championships with the organization.
The veteran saw a reduced role in recent years, culminating in a 2024 campaign where he earned a 19% snap share, the lowest of his career. Graham decided to hang up his cleats following that season, but he was coaxed out of retirement last October as the Eagles navigated injuries to their pass-rush corps. Despite 2025 representing Graham’s age-37 season, he still managed to compile three sacks and two tackles for loss in nine games.
The Eagles don’t currently have the need for excess edge depth. Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt will once again lead the unit, and the front office reinforced the position with their trade for Jonathan Greenard and signing of Arnold Ebiketie. Graham was used a bit at defensive tackle in 2025, so that multi-positional versatility would work in his favor when it comes to a potential return. When you also consider his veteran leadership, it’s easy to imagine the Eagles eventually re-signing Graham, even if he’s only guaranteed a very limited defensive role.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 6/2/26
Today’s draft pick signings:
Miami Dolphins
- LB Jacob Rodriguez (second round, Texas Tech)
- WR Caleb Douglas (third round, Texas Tech)
- TE Will Kacmarek (third round, Ohio State)
- WR Chris Bell (third round, Louisville)
- EDGE Trey Moore (fourth round, Texas)
- LB Kyle Louis (fourth round, Pitt)
- S Michael Taaffe (fifth round, Texas)
- WR Kevin Coleman Jr. (fifth round, Missouri)
- G DJ Campbell (sixth round, Texas)
- EDGE Max Llewellyn (seventh round, Iowa)
The Dolphins have finally gotten around to inking most of their draft class to rookie contracts. The team isn’t done, however. The team’s two first-round picks, OT Kadyn Proctor and CB Chris Johnson (plus fifth-round TE Seydou Traore) remain unsigned.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/2/26
Today’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on reserve/retired list: LB Markees Watts
Houston Texans
- Signed: OT Derrick Graham
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: DL Jalen Logan-Redding
New York Jets
- Reverted to IR: LB Kobe King
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived: S Makari Paige
49ers Sign S Ashtyn Davis
The 49ers have added some veteran depth to their secondary. The team announced that they’ve signed safety Ashtyn Davis to a one-year deal. To make room on the roster, the team has waived running back Jermar Jefferson.
The 2020 third-round pick out of California spent the first five seasons of his career with the Jets, where he alternated between full-time starter and part-time backup. Davis started 16 games between his first two professional campaigns, including a 2021 season where he tallied 62 tackles, three passes defended, three forced fumbles, and a pair of interceptions.
Between 2022 and 2024, Davis was limited to only six starts, and he spent that 2022 campaign completely out of the defensive rotation (13 defensive snaps in 14 games). He still managed to contribute on special teams, and his 957 ST snaps over that span outpaced his 491 defensive reps.
Davis joined the Dolphins via a one-year, $3MM deal last offseason, and he had one of the most productive seasons of his career. He started 12 of his 15 appearances, finishing with a career-high 65 tackles to go along with four passes defended and an interception. Despite the uptick in snaps, Pro Football Focus wasn’t fond of his performance, ranking him 82nd among 91 qualifying safeties.
The 49ers return much of their safety depth from last season, including Ji’Ayir Brown, Malik Mustapha, and Marques Sigle. Jason Pinnock left via free agency, so Davis could soak up some of those leftover snaps. He’ll be competing with the likes of Derrick Canteen, Patrick McMorris, and Jalen Stroman.
Jefferson caught on with the 49ers just last week. The 26-year-old has seen time in 11 career games, collecting 129 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on 26 touches.
Dolphins Sign WR Jalen Reagor
Wide receiver Jalen Reagor‘s career has not gone according to plan, but another team will give the former first-round pick a chance. The Dolphins announced they have signed Reagor to an undisclosed deal and waived safety/linebacker Jordan Colbert with a failed physical designation.
Owners of the 21st selection in the 2020 draft, the Eagles chose Reagor and left fellow receiver Justin Jefferson on the board. It quickly became apparent general manager Howie Roseman made a mistake. Jefferson, who went 22nd overall to the Vikings, has been one of the premier wideouts in the league throughout his career. Reagor, on the other hand, has never put it together in stints with the Eagles (2020-21), Vikings (2022, when he was teammates with Jefferson), Patriots (2023) and Chargers (2024). He has totaled just 86 catches and four touchdowns in 64 regular-season games.
After an eight-game, seven-catch 2024, the Chargers brought Reagor back for a second year last season. However, the 5-foot-11, 197-pounder ended up among the Chargers’ final cuts in late August. While they re-signed Reagor to their practice squad, they released him for good in October. He didn’t get into any games in 2025.
Last season’s Chargers had a more talented receiving corps than the Dolphins’ current group, which could give the 27-year-old Reagor a better chance to earn a roster spot. The rebuilding Dolphins traded No. 1 option Jaylen Waddle to the Broncos for three draft picks, including a 2026 first-rounder (which became cornerback Chris Johnson), leaving them with no proven starters. Along with Reagor, they have given short-term free agent contracts to Tutu Atwell, Jalen Tolbert and Terrace Marshall. Holdover Malik Washington, third-rounders Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell, and fifth-rounder Kevin Coleman Jr. are also among the pass catchers in the mix.
Reagor’s pact with the Dolphins will reunite him with pass game coordinator Kevin Patullo, who held the same position in Philadelphia in the receiver’s last year with the team (2021). While Reagor set career highs in catches (33) and touchdowns (two) then, he has not approached those modest numbers in any season since.