The dust is still settling on Monday's seismic trade that sent Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry is happily collecting the pieces strewn about by the explosive move.
"I didn't expect to be up here talking about a Myles Garrett trade," Berry said during a news conference on Tuesday. "This is not my favorite thing to do because, like I said, I didn't have it on the bingo card and I realize how strong I've been with Myles. But the reality is when you have an opportunity to do something that has strong both short- and long-term benefits, we have to be flexible with it. We're real excited from a team perspective."
There's legitimate reason for Berry's excitement. As his front office continues to reconstruct a roster that has been eroded by the disastrous Deshaun Watson deal, Berry has long been pestered by lingering uncertainty regarding Garrett's future. It became increasingly clear Cleveland's timeline for contention would not line up with the 30-year-old Garrett's, and although the Browns seemed to address his discontent via a four-year, $160 million extension signed in March 2025, the philosophical divide between superstar and front office never quite disappeared.
That likely would have remained true and Berry would have confidently maintained his entrenched position on Garrett -- from which Berry flatly shut down speculation by stating "Myles is a career Brown" in late March -- had the Rams not pestered Berry relentlessly over the last few months. Eventually, Los Angeles' persistence prompted Rams GM Les Snead and coach Sean McVay to throw in a very appealing trade chip: edge rusher Jared Verse.
Verse's addition changed the landscape for Berry, the Browns GM admitted Tuesday.
"One of the things that's unique about this deal relative to maybe the other non-QB superstar deals that come out is we made a trade with players and picks," Berry saidd. "Usually when you make these trades, you're completely trading off present for future. To get a player like Jared in the deal, where the defense still maintains its excellence, that was really attractive to us."
In Verse, the Browns are receiving more than a first-round selection with unknown potential. Although he's only entering his third year, Verse is a proven commodity, one who would likely be chosen higher in a redraft of the 2024 class.
For starters, the numbers are strong. In 39 career games, Verse has logged 15 sacks, 137 tackles, five forced fumbles and two Pro Bowl nods. After finishing fourth in QB pressures in his first season with the Rams, Verse took home AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He's tied for fifth in QB pressures (143) since 2024 and is also just one of five players with 40-plus QB hits and five-plus forced fumbles since 2024, a group that includes Garrett.
Berry's Browns aren't getting a Garrett clone back in the deal because that kind of duplicate doesn't (and likely never will) exist. But in the history of such significant trades, it's rare a team finds a comparable replacement who is younger, cost controlled and better fits the club's long-term timeline.
"I always told myself that if we were ever in a position to trade Myles, three things would have to be true," Berry said. "No. 1, it would have to have short- and long-term benefits. No. 2, as part of the trade, a young, cost-controlled star at a premium position would have to be included. And the third piece is it would have to be premium draft capital. And there's a very small set of deals that really satisfy those constraints. So, when it got to the point with our negotiations with the Rams when all those things were satisfied, it really caused us to take a step back and really think about the decision.
"Jared Verse, he's a huge part of this return for us. Jared is an outstanding football player. Former Defensive Rookie of the Year, two-time original ballot Pro Bowler and he's a perfect DNA match for our attacking front. He's really a terror in both phases as a run defender and pass rusher. And we are really excited to add him to our team. He allows us to continue to play defense at a high level, which is our standard over the past several seasons and we are excited to welcome him to the organization. So, we're excited about the transaction, and it wasn't something that we anticipated coming into this year or spring or quite honestly coming out of the draft. But it's a great opportunity for our team."
Trading away a franchise icon and an all-time great is never easy, both internally and for the marketing department. But in the business of pro football, personnel executives often must choose between emotion and cold calculation. When a deal becomes too attractive to ignore and the timing is as good as it will ever be, general managers must take a big swing in order to maximize return.
"No regrets. In terms of why now, the why now is just quite honestly the opportunity was too great," Berry said. "It wasn't like a Plan A going into the offseason, quite honestly, we would have operated differently if it was. But sometimes things come across your path that you're just, you're not expecting and you can't be so dogmatic in your strategy and planning that you can't adjust and be flexible to great opportunities."
In the aftermath of such a massive deal, instant reactions will often include speculation on the relationship between player and organization. Garrett never spoke with new coach Todd Monken -- whom the Browns chose over beloved defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, prompting the latter to angrily resign -- but wasn't giving the team the cold shoulder, Berry said, describing Garrett as "a good communicator" who "we expect to retire as a Brown."
Still, signs of a potential deal bubbled to the surface in the spring. Berry's front office adjusted Garrett's contract, shifting guarantees and bonus payment deadlines that signaled he might be available for the right price. It would still take a massive offer -- one most likely propelled by a suitor's heightened urgency -- to initiate action, though.
After falling in heartbreaking fashion to the eventual Super Bowl LX champion Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game, Los Angeles attacked the offseason with aggressive intent -- and became the perfect suitor.
That aggression netted the Browns a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round choice, a 2029 third-round selection and an instant, high-ceiling replacement in Verse, a Dayton, Ohio native who will return to his home state with the spotlight trained on him.
As Berry said, the offer was too good to pass up. It placed the Browns on a long-term track they've laid with two strong draft classes, a new path that won't include, but will forever appreciate Garrett.
"Myles will be a part of many of our lives beyond his playing career," Berry said. "It's maybe more of a 'see you later' than a 'goodbye,' to sound maybe a little bit corny."
