The Falcons have two big to-do’s this offseason — improving the defense, particularly the pass rush, and moving Kirk Cousins. Well, what about two birds with one stone in a Myles Garrett trade?
The hottest topic around the NFL for most teams isn’t the Super Bowl; it’s the reigning Defensive Player of the Year requesting a trade from the Browns. While Cleveland has dug its heels in about not moving Garrett, if stars want out of a franchise in today’s NFL, they usually get what they want.
So, what might a Myles Garrett trade look like for the Falcons?
Well, I’ll tell you right now that the Browns aren’t going to be interested in taking on Kirk Cousins and his contract.
They’re currently sitting on the worst quarterback contract in the league, with Deshaun Watson still owed considerable money and coming off a torn Achilles. Why in the hell would the Browns be willing to take on Cousins’ $26-ish million due in 2025? The answer is they wouldn’t.
Cleveland needs to add cheap rookie deals to fill out their roster following a hypothetical Myles Garrett trade, which doesn’t include absorbing Kirk Cousins’ deal.
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, if the Browns do trade Garrett, it would be for something closer to a first-round pick and some change than three first-round picks. The question is, what does “and some change” mean?
Would the Falcons be able to keep their star players on rookie contracts like Bijan Robinson and Drake London? Or would the Browns insist on including them in a deal?
Browns get:Â 2025 first-round pick, 2025 second-round pick, and 2026 first-round pick
Falcons get: Myles Garrett
I could argue that the Falcons aren’t a Myles Garrett away from competing for a Super Bowl. The depth just isn’t there, and they need as many picks as they can to address those concerns.
However, here’s what I would say to them. Historically speaking, first-round picks are 50-50, and those numbers taper off dramatically once you get into Day 2 of the draft. But what exactly has Terry Fontenot shown that he’s capable of finding starters in the draft, let alone stars, outside of the first eight picks?
Myles Garrett isn’t 50-50. Myles Garrett is 100% a superstar, and the Falcons haven’t had a player like Garrett on defense since Deion Sanders. He’s the kind of player that improves everyone’s play around him, and while the Falcons wouldn’t have a first or second-rounder this year, they would have a bonafide star at their biggest position of need.
And if there’s one area in which Fontenot has been successful, it’s in free agency. Restructuring a couple of deals, extending some others, and the Falcons all of a sudden have cap space to go all-in while Michael Penix Jr. is on his rookie contract, even with Kirk Cousins taking up a good portion of the salary cap.
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Photographer: Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire
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