The Cleveland Browns got a bit of good news this week when OL Joel Bitonio decided he would return to the team for another year. The Browns still need to address the quarterback position but the biggest lingering question revolves around DE Myles Garrett’s trade request.
At the NFL combine last week, everyone believed that Garrett would return to Cleveland. Teams have stopped calling GM Andrew Berry and started making plans to move forward in other ways. Rumors basically ceased. The Browns seemed aligned with their plan to keep him.
Marked by many fans as a meddling owner, in this case, Jimmy Haslam is reportedly aligned with the plan to keep Garrett as he refused to meet with the former Defensive Player of the Year:
#Browns star Myles Garrett recently requested a meeting with owner Jimmy Haslam, who declined to speak amidst Garrett’s trade request, per sources.
Both sides are dug in: Cleveland refuses to even discuss a trade, while Garrett is preparing to miss games if he’s not traded. pic.twitter.com/1VMv1xMl1b
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 7, 2025
A strong statement from the owner but one that will likely cause more problems between Garrett and the organization. Both sides are dug in on their stances:
Myles Garrett has made clear since the end of last season that he wants to continue his hall of fame career elsewhere.
The #Browns organization — from ownership to GM to coach — is aligned on its offseason plan, which does not include trading Myles Garrett.
Stay tuned. https://t.co/Cz1geXCPbS
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 7, 2025
Given the salary cap ramifications and the state of Cleveland’s roster, trading Garrett is difficult to pull off because the team cannot go into full tear down mode. Trading Garrett would cost the Browns significantly more cap space this season and minimize their ability to add to their roster and all but eliminate the ability to trade any other high-priced players.
How do you think this situation ends? Do you think Haslam is doing right by not meeting with Garrett?