Morning Coffee: Garrett’s trade request exactly what Browns need

Myles Garrett is one of the most dominant defensive players in NFL history.

He’s a generational talent, a future Hall of Famer, and one of the greatest to ever play for the Cleveland Browns.

On Monday, Garrett requested a trade from the Browns.

The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year released an official statement that highlighted his ultimate objective is to compete for and win a Super Bowl.

Garrett has never come close to that goal in Cleveland.

In eight NFL seasons, Garrett has won NFL Defensive Player of the Year, earned four first-team All-Pro nods, and become the fourth-fastest player to reach 100 sacks since they became an official stat in 1982.

The Browns have only one playoff win over that span, reaching the postseason twice in an eight-year period.

After a 3-14 season, Cleveland is once again closer to the first-overall pick in the NFL Draft than a Super Bowl.

To compete for a championship in the NFL, teams need to operate with logic, strategy, and a vision for the future.

Garrett’s trade request gives the Browns a chance to hit the reset button – this time with all those boxes checked. 

No team ever wants to part with a superstar like Garrett.

However, in this situation, a trade just might be the best option available for both the player and the franchise.

In terms of the timing, Garrett’s trade request might be exactly what the Browns needed heading into a crucial offseason.

This is the Morning Coffee for Tuesday February 4th, 2025.

Garrett’s Trade Request Exactly What Browns Need

Two years ago, the AFC North was clearly the best division in football.

All four teams finished the season with winning records.

Three of the four teams went on to make the playoffs, including the Browns with an 11-6 record thanks in part to some late-season heroics by veteran QB Joe Flacco on his way to NFL Comeback Player of the Year honours.

The AFC North went a combined 31-13 in non-division games – by far the best record of any division.

While football fans in Cleveland hoped their team could build off its second postseason appearance since 2002, the team regressed following Flacco’s departure.

The Browns started 1-6 with Deshaun Watson at QB.

Cleveland was held to fewer than 20 points in each of Watson’s seven starts – the NFL’s longest such streak to start a season in 15 years.

Watson suffered the second season-ending injury of his career in a Week 7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Browns rotated between Jameis Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and Bailey Zappe the rest of the way as they went 2-7 and finished with a 3-14 record.

For perspective, FanDuel had set the over/under on Cleveland’s regular season win total at 8.5.

Anybody who bet the under got paid by Week 13.

With just four winning seasons in the 25 years since the franchise returned to Ohio, the Browns find themselves at a crossroads once again entering the offseason.

Cleveland is one of four teams that has never played in a Super Bowl, along with the Houston Texans, Detroit Lions, and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Since 1990, every other NFL franchise except the Browns has won its division multiple times.

Regardless of what they do this offseason, it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which Cleveland doesn’t enter the 2025 NFL season with the longest odds to win its division.

It’s also hard to imagine any team could make a personnel decision that turns out worse than when the Browns traded multiple first and third round picks for Watson and then handed him an unprecedented, fully guaranteed, $230 million contract. 

This franchise is desperate for a complete overhaul.

As it turns out, Garrett’s trade request could be the blessing in disguise that helps accelerate the timeline for a rebuild.

Cleveland already holds the second-overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, along with their second-round pick and two third round picks.

Only four teams have longer odds to win next year’s Super Bowl at FanDuel than the Browns at 170-to-1.

Instead of trying to compete in the loaded AFC next season, it would make a lot more sense for Cleveland to hit the reset button and turn their attention to the future with another chance to finally get it right.

At 29-years-old, Garrett might not be an elite talent by the time that the Browns are ready to contend again.

It’s easy to get caught up in the emotions when a player like Garrett is involved, but at the end of the day, the best business decision is the right decision for the franchise.

It might seem unthinkable to some, but at this point the best thing Garrett could do for the franchise is net them the type of draft capital haul that can really help them rebuild this roster.

The Browns need to find a franchise quarterback.

I’m not sure one will be available with the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

However, I am sure that there will be teams willing to trade up to No. 2 in the NFL Draft if Cleveland is willing to trade back for more picks.

I’m also sure that teams will line up to trade a package of draft picks that includes at least one first round pick to acquire Garrett.

The 2026 NFL Draft quarterback class should feature several intriguing prospects that have the potential to become franchise quarterbacks down the line.

If I was the one deciding, I’d parlay Garrett and the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft into the best package of picks I could get for 2026 and beyond.

The Browns aren’t built to win now.

In a lot of ways, the ceiling for this current roster was capped the moment Cleveland traded for Watson.

Now the Browns have nothing to lose and everything to gain by admitting the gravity of their mistakes and wiping the slate clean with a fresh start. 

Garrett’s legacy in Cleveland is already cemented.

Now he wants the opportunity to chase a ring, which he understands he will never be able to do with the Browns.

If Garrett didn’t request a trade, the Browns could be incentivized to keep him until he eventually retires.

By publicly requesting a trade, Garrett has pressured management into the potential best-case scenario for both sides.

As it turns out, Garrett isn’t the only big name that could be on the move this NFL offseason.

The smartest move for Garrett is a trade.

The smartest move for the franchise is a trade.

The franchise can’t afford to continue its current path.

This trade request might just provide the shake up that is needed.

Garrett is one of the best defensive players in NFL history.

Browns fans will hate to see him leave.

However, if his trade request leads to a fresh start for him and a franchise-altering reset for a team in need of one, then it might end up being the best thing for both sides.

That’s a trade the Browns should be willing to bet on.