Former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden knows what it’s like to trade a star pass rusher to another team. He did that with Khalil Mack when he first got re-hired by the Raiders in 2018.
Now that he’s no longer coaching in the NFL, he’s back to giving his unfiltered thoughts on the league. The big news of the week for the NFL is that the Los Angeles Rams have traded Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick to the Cleveland Browns for two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett.
This is a massive trade that could have huge ramifications on the 2026 season. For the Browns, it makes sense for their long-term prospects, and for the Rams, they’re clearly all-in on trying to win the Super Bowl this year. Gruden was blown away by the news.
“Nice that Cleveland got Jared Verse,” Gruden said in a video posted on X. “Young pass rusher. He can come off the ball, man. And they get a first-round pick, but how about the Rams? You’ve gotta have a fourth quarter pass rush to win a championship. Why not go get the best one? Myles Garrett on the Rams? I wanna know who their cap guy is. We gotta get him a raise.”
Could This Lead to Renewed Interest in Maxx Crosby?
Earlier in the offseason, the big pass rusher trade of the offseason was supposed to be the Raiders sending Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens for two first-round picks. That deal fell apart, and Crosby is back in Las Vegas.
It appears now that he’s fine staying with the Raiders for now, but this Garrett trade could lead to renewed interest in Crosby. The Rams already had a stacked roster, and now they added arguably the best defensive player in the NFL.
Every team in the NFC is on notice. The Philadelphia Eagles previously coveted Garrett. Is Howie Roseman going to stand by while the Rams keep adding great players? If they add a first-round pick by trading A.J. Brown, it’s easy to see them going after Crosby.
The other teams in the NFC West might want to make a big move now. The Seattle Seahawks could use a big-time pass rusher like Crosby. The San Francisco 49ers also don’t want to be left in the dust.
Other NFC teams also can’t be ruled out, like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Dallas Cowboys. Things just got a lot tougher in the NFC, so if the Raiders are still open to trading Crosby, they could start getting calls once he passes his physical.
Are Rams Team to Beat?
The Rams were already really close to making it to the Super Bowl last season, and now they’ve added All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie and Garrett.
If they stay healthy, there’s no team with more high-end talent. There’s also a non-zero chance that these moves could convince legendary defensive tackle Aaron Donald to come out of retirement for one last run. Unless other teams make big moves this offseason, the Rams have to be considered the favorite to win the Super Bowl this season.
Ex-Raiders HC Jon Gruden Reacts to Myles Garrett Trade