If the Cleveland Browns are having a firesale ahead of the upcoming NFL trade deadline (Nov. 5), then superstar EDGE Myles Garrett will be constantly subjected to rumors. The 1-5 Browns traded aging wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday. The organization requires draft capital to oversee what's about to be a lengthy rebuild.
Deshaun Watson has been an expensive disaster. The Browns will almost certainly select a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft. Trading an elite playmaker like Garrett could fetch the type of capital that accelerates a rebuild.
Garrett is signed through 2026, but he's likely to receive a reworked extension this offseason, which would make him the highest-paid NFL defender in history. We've identified three potential landing spots for Garrett via trade.
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons traded for veteran pass rusher Matthew Judon to aid a unit that produced a 22nd-best 42.0 sacks last season. Judon has produced a team-leading 1.5 sacks (yuck) and things have somehow gotten worse. The Falcons currently rank dead-last in sacks with just five in six games, and their pass-rush-win-rate (PRWR) of 34% ranks 27th, per ESPN Stats & Info.
The Falcons have received exactly zero sacks this season from the combination of 2022 second-round pick Arnold Ebiketie, 2022 third-round selection DeAngelo Malone, and 2023 third-rounder Zach Harrison. General manager Terry Fontenot hasn’t managed to solve his pass-rushing woes no matter how many resources he pours into the position.
Nonetheless, Kirk Cousins is playing high-level football and the Falcons sit atop the NFC South at 4-2. They're somewhat in win-now mode given Cousins' advancing age. Defensive-minded head coach Raheem Morris could really use a transcending pass rusher like Garrett to help complete the install of his defense. Given how difficult it's been for Atlanta to solve their pass-rushing problem, they should be willing to part with significant capital if Garrett is available.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles traded Haason Reddick in the offseason partially because they believed they had enough in-house solutions to absorb his departure. Reddick may get traded again due to an ongoing contract-related holdout, but don't expect the Eagles to reacquire him. Meanwhile, Vic Fangio's defense has produced just 11 sacks.
No Eagles defender has more than two sacks this season. Sophomore first-round pick Nolan Smith Jr. has just one quarterback takedown and is developing on a slower timeline than expected. The aging Brandon Graham has one sack and is on a pitch count. Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter haven't been producing sacks at the hopeful rate. Howie Roseman is a bold decision-maker who could involve himself in the Garrett sweepstakes, should they exist.
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals absolutely shouldn't be in the business of selling draft capital in exchange for assets, unless that asset is an elite one like Garrett. The Cardinals have also recorded just 11 sacks this campaign. Last year, they finished 30th in quarterback takedowns with 33. Applying pressure on opposing backfields has been a recurring problem.
Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon once oversaw a historic 70-sack season as the defensive coordinator of the Eagles. General manager Monti Ossenfort was once in an assistant front office role with a Tennessee Titans defense that had Jeffery Simmons, Denico Autry, Harold Landry, and Bud Dupree. The Cardinals are scheduled to possess the second-most 'effective' cap space ($101.6 million) of any team in the league next offseason, per OverTheCap, and could give Garrett the extension he covets.
