Myles Garrett is looking to be traded, understandable with Cleveland being a train wreck that can't reasonably contend until the Deshaun Watson contract is in the rear-view mirror. The Browns say they're not going to trade him, but we'll see.
On the one hand, it makes sense that Cleveland wouldn't want to lose the defensive face of the franchise, arguably its only current elite player. But reality might set in that they're not going to be a legit contender anytime soon, and with Garrett not getting any younger (he's 29), now might be the time to move him for a bunch of draft picks.
Washington has been floated as a possibility, but other contending teams like Buffalo would also make sense. Any team really, with Garrett one of the most disruptive players in the history of the league.
Since 2000, there are basically three defensive players a level above everyone else when it comes to wreaking havoc on opposing offenses. Certain Hall of Famers J.J. Watt and Aaron Donald, and Garrett.
The table below, compiled using the search tools at pro-football-reference.com, shows sack, quarterback hits, and tackles for loss numbers compiled since 2000 by all defenders to play in at least 100 games. Watt tops the list, averaging over 4 of those plays (combined) per game. Only two other defenders average more than 3 per week: Donald and Garrett.
DISRUPTIVE DEFENDERS, 2000-PRESENT | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | G | Sk | TFL | QBHits | Total | Tot/G |
J.J. Watt | 151 | 114.5 | 195 | 317 | 627 | 4.1 |
Myles Garrett | 117 | 102.5 | 116 | 200 | 419 | 3.6 |
Aaron Donald | 154 | 111.0 | 176 | 260 | 547 | 3.6 |
Joey Bosa | 107 | 72.0 | 87 | 156 | 315 | 2.9 |
Jared Allen | 187 | 136.0 | 171 | 228 | 535 | 2.9 |
Danielle Hunter | 136 | 99.5 | 125 | 157 | 382 | 2.8 |
Trey Hendrickson | 110 | 77.0 | 71 | 155 | 303 | 2.8 |
Chris Jones | 138 | 80.5 | 87 | 195 | 363 | 2.6 |
Khalil Mack | 167 | 107.5 | 142 | 185 | 435 | 2.6 |
Matt Judon | 131 | 72.0 | 94 | 174 | 340 | 2.6 |
Justin Houston | 170 | 112.0 | 132 | 185 | 429 | 2.5 |
DeForest Buckner | 141 | 67.5 | 88 | 175 | 331 | 2.3 |
Cameron Jordan | 226 | 121.5 | 160 | 233 | 515 | 2.3 |
Jadeveon Clowney | 140 | 58.0 | 108 | 139 | 305 | 2.2 |
Calais Campbell | 261 | 110.5 | 187 | 266 | 564 | 2.2 |
Markus Golden | 127 | 51.0 | 68 | 140 | 259 | 2.0 |
Jonathan Allen | 109 | 42.0 | 60 | 118 | 220 | 2.0 |
DeMarcus Lawrence | 141 | 61.5 | 97 | 126 | 285 | 2.0 |
Frank Clark | 128 | 58.5 | 67 | 131 | 257 | 2.0 |
Leonard Floyd | 138 | 66.5 | 71 | 138 | 276 | 2.0 |
Cameron Heyward | 211 | 88.5 | 133 | 199 | 421 | 2.0 |
Shaquil Barrett | 132 | 59.0 | 73 | 125 | 257 | 1.9 |
Sam Hubbard | 104 | 38.5 | 55 | 98 | 192 | 1.8 |
Bruce Irvin | 140 | 56.5 | 70 | 131 | 258 | 1.8 |
Melvin Ingram | 148 | 58.5 | 82 | 131 | 272 | 1.8 |
Fletcher Cox | 188 | 70.0 | 88 | 173 | 331 | 1.8 |
Bud Dupree | 136 | 59.0 | 76 | 100 | 235 | 1.7 |
Brandon Graham | 206 | 76.5 | 126 | 153 | 356 | 1.7 |
Denico Autry | 152 | 62.0 | 83 | 113 | 258 | 1.7 |
Kyle Williams | 183 | 48.5 | 103 | 141 | 293 | 1.6 |
Grady Jarrett | 152 | 36.5 | 77 | 126 | 240 | 1.6 |
Akiem Hicks | 149 | 41.5 | 75 | 115 | 232 | 1.6 |
Dante Fowler | 142 | 55.5 | 70 | 87 | 213 | 1.5 |
Sheldon Richardson | 138 | 33.5 | 64 | 105 | 203 | 1.5 |
Lavonte David | 198 | 39.0 | 169 | 73 | 281 | 1.4 |
Arden Key | 104 | 26.5 | 33 | 85 | 145 | 1.4 |
Javon Hargrave | 130 | 45.5 | 55 | 79 | 180 | 1.4 |
Jerry Hughes | 225 | 70.0 | 96 | 142 | 308 | 1.4 |
Frankie Luvu | 105 | 28.0 | 58 | 55 | 141 | 1.3 |
Arik Armstead | 133 | 35.5 | 46 | 95 | 177 | 1.3 |
Shaq Lawson | 110 | 26.0 | 42 | 77 | 145 | 1.3 |
Warren Sapp | 121 | 54.5 | 78 | 22 | 155 | 1.3 |
Maliek Collins | 136 | 30.5 | 51 | 88 | 170 | 1.2 |
Samson Ebukam | 113 | 33.0 | 38 | 69 | 140 | 1.2 |
Quinton Jefferson | 115 | 28.5 | 31 | 81 | 141 | 1.2 |
Demario Davis | 210 | 44.5 | 110 | 102 | 257 | 1.2 |
Kenny Clark | 140 | 35.0 | 51 | 76 | 162 | 1.2 |
Brian Urlacher | 182 | 41.5 | 138 | 24 | 204 | 1.1 |
Dorance Armstrong Jr. | 109 | 28.5 | 30 | 62 | 121 | 1.1 |
Shelby Harris | 129 | 27.5 | 51 | 60 | 139 | 1.1 |
Charles Harris | 103 | 19.5 | 31 | 60 | 111 | 1.1 |
B.J. Hill | 112 | 23.5 | 29 | 66 | 119 | 1.1 |
Jerome Baker | 104 | 24.5 | 33 | 49 | 107 | 1.0 |
Adam Butler | 114 | 27.0 | 38 | 46 | 111 | 1.0 |
Maybe this will all be for naught; the Browns will get out of the Watson contract and make a couple of key moves that have Garrett thinking the team can contend this season. Or maybe Cleveland will just dig in its heels and say you're playing for us or no one.
But a possible Garrett trade is going to be one of the big offseason stories. He'd make a good team a championship contender pretty quickly.
--Andy Richardson