Analyst Offers Major Criticism About Browns Superstar Myles Garrett

Myles Garrett is a generational pass-rusher. That's why the Cleveland Browns selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and that's why they just gave him a massive contract to stay in Cleveland through the 2030 season.

And by massive, think $40 million per year. That's some big-time money for a big-time player.

Garrett had previously said that he wasn't worried about one day joining the Hall of Fame and instead wanted to pursue a championship. That's why he originally requested that Cleveland trade him. The money talked in this instance — as it usually does — but one has to imagine the Browns' brain trust was able to convince Garrett that Cleveland can become a championship contender with him as the cornerstone piece.

He certainly has the talent to do so. Garrett has racked up 102.5 career sacks since the 2017 season. He's one of the best pass-rushers the NFL has ever seen.

But does he have the right mental makeup to be a leader on a championship team? Cleveland obviously thinks yes, but one Browns analyst, ESPN's Aaron Goldhammer, isn't so sure.

"He helps your talent level raise but he doesn't help your culture," Goldammer said on ESPN Cleveland. "He doesn't take people with him. He doesn't raise the level of the teammates."

Goldhammer credited the talking heads around him, saying that they all raise each others level, which helps produce an elite product for the radio listeners. He was met with a response that not everybody is that type of leader, and that seemed to make Goldhammer's point for him.

"That's why he's part of the problem and part of the solution," Goldammer said of Garrett.

It's worth noting that Garrett was part of the Browns' 0-16 season as a rookie and the team has only been to the playoffs twice in his eight seasons. With that said, one player can't turn around the type of organizational incompetence the Browns have displayed over the years — even a player as good as Garrett.

Football is the ultimate team game and Garrett is just one piece of the bigger puzzle in Cleveland. He's a very important piece, but a piece nonetheless. To that point, five quarterbacks have led the team in passing in Garrett's eight seasons and he's played for four head coaches, including Freddie Kitchens.