After three relatively quiet drafts for the Cleveland Browns, they're preparing for a significant one in April as part of an offseason that could prove to be a turning point for the future of the organization.
Accordingly, plenty of attention was on Browns general manager Andrew Berry at the NFL Scouting Combine. But it wasn't primarily about quarterbacks -- it was about all-world edge rusher Myles Garrett, who requested a trade in early February.
Berry did not waver in his stance on Tuesday in Indianapolis, telling reporters that the Browns have zero interest in trading Garrett.
"He's a huge part of our organization. Really good person," Berry said during his opening comments. "He's an awesome player. Understand the trade request and everything, but our stance really has not changed. We can't imagine a situation where not having Myles as a part of the organization is best for the Browns."
Garrett's request included a line that suggests he believes he cannot win a Super Bowl in Cleveland: "The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl."
Garrett's apparent lack of faith in Cleveland's front office might lead many to believe it's only a matter of time before the two parties split. However, Berry sees it differently.
"Trade requests, they happen across the league all the time," Berry said Tuesday. "... That's not unusual, it's not the first for us, probably won't be the last. It's not the first across the league. But we respect, we appreciate Myles. Like I said, we're not interested in moving him."
The first overall pick of the 2017 draft, Garrett has lived up to his billing as a generational edge rusher, racking up six Pro Bowl nods and four first-team All-Pro selections in his eight-year career, all spent in Cleveland. He won NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2023, finished third in the race for the award in 2024, and has produced double-digit sack totals in every season from 2018-2024.
He'd fetch a significant return in the trade market if the Browns were interested in shipping him elsewhere, but Berry remained firm, repeating the same line in response to questions regarding Garrett: "We're not interested in moving Myles."
Theoretically, Cleveland could convince Garrett to stick around with a productive offseason. After the Deshaun Watson gamble failed spectacularly and sent the Browns into a spiral in 2024, they're clearly in a bad spot at quarterback. Addressing the matter with a proven veteran and/or a promising rookie could improve their outlook, but there's no guarantee that will change Garrett's mind.
"We've had plenty of dialogue with Myles really since he's been a Brown and certainly after the season with him and his camp. Certainly understand his frustration from last year," Berry said. "We're all frustrated. But our focus is obviously on making the changes and adding the pieces to make sure that we don't feel like we did at the end of last season."
When Garrett's request became public, prognosticators everywhere immediately started crafting projections for where the All-Pro might land. Garrett would provide an upgrade to every team interested in acquiring him, regardless of their existing roster.
Berry understands this and isn't about to accept anything less than a king's ransom for Garrett. In fact, judging by his comments Tuesday, even that wouldn't get a deal done.
"Ultimately, my responsibility is to make the decisions that are best for the Browns and having Myles (as) a part of the organization is a huge piece of that," he said.
Berry has plenty of work ahead of him to improve the Browns' roster and reposition them on a track that continues into the playoffs. They proved in 2023 they could achieve such a goal, even with veteran Joe Flacco under center. Veteran options exist outside of Cleveland for Berry to consider, including Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who was granted permission to seek a trade earlier this week.
A month from now, the Browns' situation could look better. As Berry said multiple times Tuesday, he intends for it to include Garrett, even if it requires them to enter a standoff with their disgruntled star for the time being.
"Our focus is on building the team and Myles is going to be a big part of that," he said.
