by Inspired by a post from Cleveland Browns beat reporter Zac Jackson outlining what it would take to trade Myles Garrett, Dianna Russini and Jacob Robinson (The Athletic) made a tag-team effort to trade the fearsome Pass rushers create Chicago Bears.
And yes, it has my full attention:
We start in Cleveland, where Zac has “gone from believing that a Garrett trade is all but impossible to believing that the Browns must at least engage in the various discussions surrounding it.” đź‘€
Let’s say the Bears acquire DE Myles Garrett and send the Browns two first-round picks (2025 and 2026) as well as rookie DE Austin Booker. Chicago has long needed help on its defensive line and was missing DE Matthew Judon this offseason. However, in retrospect, trading for DE Montez Sweat (second-round pick) last year was a smart move by GM Ryan Poles. There’s no better help than Garrett, a one-man demolition team.
Oh, baby. This is some juicy NFL trade deadline gossip. And I’m totally here for that.
Myles Garrett is a monster. The 28-year-old defensive end is a five-time Pro Bowler, three-time first-team All-Pro and was named the NFL’s 2023 Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press, Pro Football Writers of America and Sporting News. He has 92.5 sacks, 101 tackles-for-loss and 181 quarterback hits in 107 career games. Garrett is still destroying opposing offensive lines in 2024, collecting 4 sacks, 7 tackles-for-loss and 9 quarterback hits in seven games. In short, the guy is a monster and would be welcome in this defense.
The Myles Garrett trade isn’t as far-fetched as you might think
As mentioned above, Bears GM Ryan Poles tried (and failed) to trade for Matthew Judon this summer. With that in mind, I believe the Poles would undoubtedly move up at pass rusher if given the opportunity.
And it’s not like trading for Myles Garrett would put a financial strain on the Bears. Garrett has upcoming highs of $19.722 million (2025), $20.374 million (2026), and $37.682 million (2027). The Bears project to have the eighth-most cap space in 2025, ninth-most in 2026 and 19th-most in 2027. We can cross that bridge in 2027 when we get there… and I would be willing to do that if it meant adding someone with Myles Garrett’s resume to this roster.
When it comes to the cost of doing business, I understand that some fans think it is a high price. Picked up a few first-round picks (along with rookie defensive end Austin Booker) Is a proud price. But you have to give something to get something. Plus, it’s not like the Bears are heading into the 2025 NFL Draft empty-handed. The team still owns the Carolina Panthers’ second-round pick in the upcoming draft, making it appear that it will be a top-five pick of the round.
On the other hand, I can understand why the Browns would be hesitant to make such a move. Garrett is the team’s best and most popular player. Given what’s happening at quarterback in Cleveland, trading good, popular players might seem like a questionable business practice. But it’s a solid move to free up some cap space and accumulate draft picks to speed up the rebuild while Deshaun Watson’s contract serves as an albatross for the next two seasons. And in my opinion, the Bears should take advantage of teams that have major cap issues – just like they did when they traded with the Los Angeles Chargers to sign wide receiver Keenan Allen.
Ultimately, I can’t shake the feeling that the Bears should make a move like this. With quarterback Caleb Williams on his rookie contract, Chicago’s football team has the maneuverability to sign big contracts for high-performing players. If this franchise truly believes in Caleb as its QB1, then it should strike while the iron is hot. Trading for a player like Myles Garrett could be trading Khalil Mack again. But if a better quarterback pulls the trigger, the Bears could be in for a far happier ending this time around.
