The Cleveland Browns ended two-plus months of speculation on Monday by finally pulling the trigger on a trade for Myles Garrett, sending him to the Rams for Jared Verse and three draft picks. It’s a blockbuster of the highest order, a deal sending out arguably the best player in the league today and certainly the best defensive player. Though it has been a much-discussed move, it’s still a bit of a shocker–Garrett is coming off a year in which he set the single-season record for sacks, and players of that order are not typically dealt.
But as that news is being digested, there is also the possibility that the Browns could be just beginning a major shift in their roster, that maybe the team will not stop at trading Garrett but will also deal away established veterans like Denzel Ward and Grant Delpit. The goal in swapping out the 30-year-old Garrett for the 25-year-old Verse, who is a two-time Pro Bowler after two years in the NFL, was clearly to get younger.
Maybe that will apply to other older Browns stars?
Browns Not Planning to Trade Denzel Ward
Rest assured, the Browns do not appear set on taking that tack. This is a team that has said all along it wants to win as much as possible in 2026, without concern for where they will be picking in the draft, and to that end, they’re not going to start selling off their best pieces. At least not yet.
That comes via the reporting of ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, who wrote “a few notes” about the trade on Twitter/X: “*Browns’ desire for a young, ascending pass rusher (and Jared Verse, specifically), shrunk candidate pool. Per team source, this was a Rams-specific deal because Rams ‘hounded’ CLE for a while. *Myles Garrett did not request a trade similar to last offseason. Team made deal because due to the trade value.
“Don’t sense this is a fire sale. Was told a hard no on Denzel Ward’s availability, for example.”
Denzel Ward Has 5 Pro Bowl Appearances
That’s good news for the Browns and new defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg, because the team’s depth at cornerback is one of the prominent question marks on an otherwise stout defense. Having Denzel Ward on hand eases that issue.
Ward is a four-time Pro Bowler who led the NFL in passes defenses, with 19, in 2024. He allowed a passer rating of 88.1 when he was targeted by quarterbacks last season.
Browns Getting Younger
Again, it is entirely possible that could change. It was only a little more than two months ago, after all, that GM Andrew Berry told reporters that he saw Garrett as a “career Brown” but within three weeks, he was talking with the Rams about the trade that he just finished up today.
With Garrett gone, the Browns are continuing to whittle down the average age of the team, especially on the defense. The Browns have shuffled on most of their players who were over 30 on the defense, with only Maliek Collins and D’Angelo Ross still on the roster at 30-plus.
Browns Make Final Decision on Trading Star DB After Myles Garrett Deal