The Los Angeles Rams came oh so close to the Super Bowl in 2026. QB Matthew Stafford was in MVP form last season, but it was not enough to get past the Seahawks in the NFC Championship. Los Angeles is now doing everything they possibly can to surround Stafford with talent for another Super Bowl run in 2026. They just added one of the league’s best defensive players to help make it happen.
The Rams are finalizing a trade with the Browns to acquire superstar edge rusher Myles Garrett, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter and multiple other sources. Trade terms have yet to be finalized. However, LA is expected to send edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, and additional compensation in exchange for Garrett.
Rams GM Les Snead is back to his old ways, shipping away first-round draft picks for proven veteran talent. Snead already acquired Trent McDuffie with a first-round pick earlier this offseason. Now LA is going absolutely all in on the 2026 season by adding a two-time Defensive Player of the Year.
The Rams were already Super Bowl contenders ahead of the 2026 season. Now they may be the favorites among the entire league. Meanwhile, the Browns got an incredible return for an elite player who no longer matches their timeline for competing.
But who came out on top of this blockbuster trade?
Here are trade grades for the Rams and Browns after Monday’s colossal trade agreement.
The Rams were willing to pay a king’s ransom for Myles Garrett
Every other team in the NFL has to be worried about the Rams following this trade.
LA already looked like the most talented team in the league last season. The Rams have one of the game’s best offensive minds at head coach, an MVP quarterback, and a star-studded roster. But they kicked it into overdrive this offseason.
The Rams addressed their biggest need, their secondary, by adding McDuffie and Jaylen Watson from the Chiefs. An improved secondary should make the front seven’s job even easier. And now that unit boasts the best edge rusher in the entire league.
Make no mistake, losing Verse is a big loss for LA. But gaining Garrett more than makes up for that loss.
Garrett is coming off an incredible season where he logged a whopping 23 sacks as essentially a one-man show on Cleveland’s defense. It is truly mind boggling to consider how good LA’s defense could be in 2026 if Garrett can play at that level once again.
Perhaps the best part of this deal for LA is the financial side.
Garrett is under contract through the 2030 season. LA is getting an absolutely huge discount on Garrett from a salary cap perspective.
According to Over the Cap’s salary cap calculator, Garrett will only have a $3.30 million cap hit in 2026. In fact, his cap hit stays in that range through the 2028 season, when it jumps to $20 million in 2029 then $25 million in 2030. That is practically nothing for arguably the best defensive player in the entire league. That needs to be factored into the grade here.
LA is now in a tier of their own with Garrett added to their defense.
Grade: A+
Cleveland gets excellent return for Garrett, adds more ammunition in 2027 NFL Draft
The Browns will be the forgotten half of this blockbuster trade and with good reason.
Cleveland is deep in rebuilding mode and just sent away one of the best players in franchise history. But that does not mean that they automatically “lost” this trade.
They may be a rebuilding team, but the Browns have the infrastructure in place to become a good team sooner rather than later. It just all comes down to the quarterback position.
Cleveland has a young core on offense with Quinshon Judkins, Harold Fannin Jr., and Jerry Jeudy as established weapons. The Browns rebuilt their offensive line this offseason and brought in KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston, and Spencer Fano in the draft.
The defense has some promise too. Verse will join Mason Graham as another young, talented defender on the d-line. Cleveland also has reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger patrolling the middle of the field. And don’t forget about Denzel Ward, Tyson Campbell, and others in the secondary.
Ultimately, the Browns were smart to recognize that they won’t be a competitive team very soon. They did right by Garrett to send him to a contender, and got a lot of value in return. That’s a win-win-win for everyone involved.
Now Cleveland will enter a loaded 2027 NFL Draft with two first-round picks. The Browns could look like an up and coming team if they add a legit franchise quarterback next spring.
It will be fascinating to see if the Browns live to regret this trade. But this feels like the right time for the organization to make a move like this.
Grade: B+
The Los Angeles Rams came oh so close to the Super Bowl in 2026. QB Matthew Stafford was in MVP form last season, but it was not enough to get past the Seahawks in the NFC Championship. Los Angeles is now doing everything they possibly can to surround Stafford with talent for another Super Bowl run in 2026.