Myles Garrett’s unexpected request to leave the Cleveland Browns has caused a domino effect throughout the NFL. A month after the disagreement between the star defensive end and the team, Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane compared this scenario to what they experienced with Stefon Diggs in 2023.
For four years, Diggs was one of quarterback Josh Allen’s most reliable targets. However, the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round changed the outlook for the Bills, and Diggs asked to leave. In the end, Buffalo accepted the request and sent their receiver to the Houston Texans in exchange for three draft picks.
Beane admitted that it was all hearsay at first. “Sometimes, there’s some truth to it. Sometimes, there’s no truth to it… I think you start with the player,” the Bills GM explained in an interview with Pat McAfee, and suggested that the Browns should have an honest talk with Garrett and his representatives.
The Browns must evaluate the situation
Recalling what happened with Diggs, Beane advised the Browns to sit down and talk with Garrett to decide the best way forward. “You know the player himself, you know his representatives, and you just have truthful conversations about where both sides are at, and sometimes you may have to agree to disagree.”
He stressed that as a manager, you have to put the team first. “In this role, you have to do what’s best for your club. Is it time to break it off now? Is it… We’re going to do it for another year, like we did with Stef and break it off later,” Beane said.
Where could Garrett go?
The 2023 Defensive Player of the Year has one year left on the five-year, $120 million contract he signed with the Browns in 2020. However, Garrett wants to find a team with which he can contend for a championship.
As expected, he has no shortage of options. Every other day, a new rumor or analyst claims Garrett is the missing piece for one team or another to become a contender. The most recent rumor is that he could be heading to the Bills themselves or the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles.
Whether or not this is true, there is still a long way to go before this saga is resolved. In the meantime, Garrett and the Browns have a lot to work out before the player can choose a new destination.
Read the full article here
