Browns GM Andrew Berry Explains Why Myles Garrett Was Not Shopped Around

The Browns GM went into detail about why the blockbuster trade went down.

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry watches drills during the first day of rookie minicamp May 8, 2026, at Cross Country Mortgage Campus in Berea, Ohio. | Andrew Dolph / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When the Browns traded away Myles Garrett just over a week ago, some of the first reactions were why now? As last season, Garrett had requested a trade out of Cleveland, but upper management did not pull the trigger and instead increased his pay to keep him around.

Garrett reportedly did not request a trade this offseason, but was dealt away to the Rams anyway. The Browns also were not looking at the market for Garrett because GM Andrew Berry had specific demands for any trade that they would even consider.

Berry talked to NFL Analyst Peter Schrager about these considerations yesterday.

The first demand was that the deal would have to help the team in the short and long term. Meaning that they would need to be able to get success almost immediately, but also 4 or 5 years down the road. 

The second was that the Browns got a young, cost-controlled star at a premium position. Berry got what he was looking for, specifically in getting Jared Verse. Verse is a 25-year-old, defensive end (a premium position), who is earning under $3 million for the next two seasons. 

The last being, of course, draft pick considerations. The Rams gave up their 2027 first-round pick, plus their 2028 second-round pick, and their 2029 third-round pick (which could become a first if LA trades Garrett to an AFC North team.

Berry explained that after using those three requirements, there aren’t many different deals or teams that would qualify for a trade candidate, saying about the requirements: “When you think about who could be potentially fits, that already really really shrinks the pool of potential trade partners.”

Berry also touched on other factors like what organization is willing to move their young player, draft picks or is trustworthy enough to know that the details won’t get out before the deal is done. 

He also said that the Browns were lucky that Les Snead, Rams GM, reached out to inquire about the deal because the way the Rams were positioned, how they had a young star, and the history of Snead making big time deals all matched up. 

When Berry explains it through his and the organization’s way of thinking, the deal makes a lot of sense for both sides. The Rams will get a future Hall of Famer who will help them in their quest for another Super Bowl, and the Browns get a coveted young star who will contribute immediately, along with three draft picks to help their future.