Myles Garrett demands trade: should Seahawks make a move for Browns superstar?

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It's not every day that the best defensive player in the game becomes available. Today is an exception, though. Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett just came out with a public trade demand, which puts the reigning Defensive Player of the Year on the market. Should the Seattle Seahawks make a move?
The short answer to that question is of course yes. Garrett has the potential to supercharge any defense that he plays for, and would immdiately upgrade Seattle's edge rotation into one of, if not the very best in the NFL. The long answer is also a yes, but it's going to take some work to make room for him.
At the moment the Seahawks have around -$31 million in effective cap space for the 2025 season. That means they don't have room to sign anybody right now, let alone one of the most expensive players in the game. Garrett's current deal with the Browns pays him $125 million total over five years and his cap hit for 2025 is just under $20 million. It's around the same number in 2026 and then explodes to over $40 million in 2027.
Making room to sign Garrett would mean the Seahawks would have to shed around $50 million off the books. A couple of obvious cap casualties for Seattle include George Fant, Tyler Lockett and Dre'Mont Jones. However, that would only save around $32 million, so they'd also likely have to part ways with starting quarterback Geno Smith.
Needless to say, all those cuts would decimate Seattle's offense and further the imbalance between the team's two units, which is already pretty significant.
While it's fun to think about Myles Garrett in a Seahawks uniform, unless the Browns are willing to eat a significant portion of Garrett's salary it just doesn't seem realistic for Seattle to trade for him.
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Tim Weaver has been writing about the NFL since the 2013 season for multiple teams and outlets, including USA Today and The Sporting News. He currently covers the Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers for On SI.