Bills should be considered front-runners if Browns trade Myles Garrett

Bills need to upgrade their pass rush and Browns star edge rusher could be the answer. The only question is whether Cleveland will make good on the defensive player of the year's request to be traded.

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The Bills have dominated the AFC East over the last five seasons and have become a perennial postseason player and Super Bowl contender. But they haven't been able to advance past the AFC championship game. We can debate the reasoning, but one thing is clear: the Bills' pass rush has been sorely lacking and is a big part of the Bills' shortcomings in postseason play. In 2024, they recorded only 39 sacks and consistently struggled to get stops on third downs, ranking an abysmal 30th in this department.

There has been talk about a potential trade to bring Raiders star edge rusher Maxx Crosby to Buffalo. But he hasn't formally requested a trade. Browns star Myles Garrett has done just that.

In a letter posted Monday to X (formerly known as Twitter) by ESPN's Adam Schefter, Garrett requested a trade from the Browns.

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"As a kid dreaming of the NFL, all I focused on was the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl," Garrett wrote. "...While I've loved calling this city my home, my desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won't allow me to be complacent. The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl.

"With that in mind, I have requested to be traded from the Cleveland Browns."

Garrett completed the 2024 campaign with 14 sacks, 22 tackles for a loss, and 47 total tackles. He is still one of the premier pass rushers in the league. According to Spotrac, a team acquiring Garrett would pick up $19.5 million in 2025 and $25 million in 2026, both years are non-guaranteed. The Browns would have more than $36 million in dead cap charges.

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Schefter followed up his initial X post announcing Garrett's desire to be traded, with a reminder of what the Khalil Mack trade from the Raiders to the Bears looked like. The deal included two first-round picks, as well as a fourth and sixth-round pick. In return, Chicago acquired Mack and second and fifth-round picks. The Bills have two second-round picks and a total of ten this year to make something work. The trick will be getting the deal done under their current salary cap restraints.

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