All-Pro Defensive Player of The Year Myles Garrett has requested a trade from the Cleveland Browns, and at least one reporter believes that general manager Brian Gutekunst and the Green Bay Packers are in a position to swoop in to make one of the biggest trades of the offseason.
Matt Schneidman of The Athletic suggests that the Packers pulling off a blockbuster trade for Garrett is “Doable,” as the offseason gets underway.
“It’s doable,” Schneidman posted on social media. “Especially if Brian Gutekunst wants to back up his statement about expecting to compete for a Super Bowl in 2025. Pass rush was inconsistent, hence DL coach firing. I’m sure fans would understand the Packers not having a first-round pick in the draft they’re hosting.”
What would it cost for the Packers to Trade for Myles Garrett?
According to Diana Russini of The Athletic, there is a belief inside the league, from at least one general manager, that Browns’ asking price is likely to be in the neighborhood of “a first-round pick-plus.”
Garrett would immediately become a foundational centerpiece for the Packers’ defense and a major step towards overtaking the Detroit Lions in the NFC North.
Amid a seven-season streak of producing double-digit sacks, Garrett has logged 14 sacks each of the past two seasons, with 102.5 sacks on his ledger thus far in his career.
In addition to having plenty of draft capital to meet the Browns’ reported asking price, Gutekunst and the Packers also have upwards of $39 million in effective cap space next season to work out a long-term contract extension.
Garrett would certainly fit the profile of the kind of player who can instantly elevate a contending team into becoming a legitimate Super Bowl favorite and transformative piece along the defensive line.
In some ways, given the pieces that the Packers already have in place on offense around quarterback Jordan Love, a trade for Garrett would have the potential to be an echo of Green Bay signing Reggie White in free agency back in 1993.
