Browns GM Andrew Berry Opens Up About Myles Garrett Trade to Rams

The Cleveland Browns made a blockbuster trade on Monday, sending two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for linebacker Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 third-round pick.

Browns general manager Andrew Berry told the media a day later that he wasn’t expecting to discuss a Garrett trade with reporters this offseason.

“So I’ll be honest, I did not have this press conference about Myles Garrett on my bingo card for this spring,” he said.

He called Garrett “a foundational player … Hall of Fame worthy and a homegrown talent” who’s been in the area for decades.

“Our intent was to have him be a one-helmet player for his career, and that was the truth,” Berry said. “Even to this day, when Myles’ career is over, we look forward to welcoming him back in the organization.”

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“There are moments, particularly in my job, where opportunities come up that quite honestly are unexpected and they force you to stop and re-evaluate,” Berry explained about the trade.

During his press conference, the Browns GM said things “got to a certain point” where they made a significant decision they felt would impact the team “short and long term.”

The trade may have sent away Garrett, a seven-time Pro Bowler and sack machine who set the single-season record for sacks last season, but it brought the Browns a young and talented new linebacker in Verse. He won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2024 and already has two Pro Bowl selections in his early career.

In two seasons with the Rams, Verse played in all 34 games, achieving 124 combined tackles and 12 sacks, as well as three passes defended and five forced fumbles. His future appears bright.

Cleveland also stacked future draft picks, as it’s clear this team is moving towards a rebuild. They have a quarterback room featuring Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson, with many expecting this team to be amongst those vying for the top pick in next year’s NFL Draft.

That could be Texas’s Arch Manning or Oregon’s Dante Moore, who are among the several talented quarterbacks available in that draft class.

It might be a painfully sentimental trade for many Browns fans, as Garrett joined the team in 2017 and has been the longtime leader with immense popularity due to his defensive dominance in Cleveland. However, the future benefit with Verse on the defense and multiple future draft picks could eventually ease the pain.

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This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 11:33 AM.