Myles Garrett has requested a trade; let's talk through the hypothetical of Detroit as a destination
He’s likely been pondering about it for a while. Still, it can’t be entirely coincidental that Myles Garrett — the Cleveland Browns All-Pro edge rusher and reigning Defensive Player of the Year — requested a trade a day after the Pro Bowl.
Nothing crystallizes perceptions of your professional situation quite like comparing notes with your peers. Several weeks after saying he hoped to finish his career with the Browns, and days after the team’s general manager Andrew Berry told reporters he would reject an offer of two first-rounders for the star defender, Garrett has formally requested a trade.
Here’s his complete statement, released Monday:
"As a kid dreaming of the NFL, all I focused on was the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl — and that goal fuels me today more than ever," Garrett wrote. "My love for the community of Northeast Ohio and the incredible fanbase of the Cleveland Browns has made this one of the toughest decisions of my life. These past eight years have shaped me into the man that I am today.
"While I've loved calling this city my home, my desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won't allow me to be complacent. The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl.
"With that in mind, I have requested to be traded from the Cleveland Browns."
Step aside, Luka Doncic: The NFL is unwilling to wait until the Super Bowl to regain control of the news cycle.
Requests don’t always lead to deals, but Garrett’s appears to be thought out and well-timed for the Browns to meet his demand.
And if Cleveland acquiesces and puts Garrett on the block, approximately 31 teams should be interested. Of note, he doesn’t have a no-trade clause, but given the Super Bowl aspirations laid out in the request, the list of acceptable destinations shrinks considerably.
You know why you’re here. You’re no different than the fanbases of the other potential suitors. You need to know whether the Detroit Lions have a realistic shot of landing Garrett. And since it’s going to be one of the hottest topics of the offseason, we might as well address it head-on.