While the weekend of NBA trade news seemed poised to steal some thunder from the NFL’s Super Bowl week, trade offers and requests on Monday stole back the spotlight.
Cleveland Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett, generally regarded as one of the best players in the NFL, announced in a statement Monday that he had requested a trade. The 29-year-old is a four-time Pro Bowler and was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2023. He has two years left on his deal but no guaranteed money.
While it’s unclear whether the Browns will even be listening to offers for Garrett, there’s sure to be interest from a variety of contending and non-contending suitors.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Rams also announced that they’d be accepting trade offers for wide receiver Cooper Kupp.
Could the New England Patriots in their rebuild look to shore up their pass rush with one of the best in the league? And could they also be in the hunt for Kupp?
In his weekly appearance on WEEI’s Jones and Keefe, NBC Sports Boston Patriots insider Tom E. Curran said that the odds New England can win the sweepstakes for either player are low.
“I'd say low chances on both because being post-30, both of them are going to want to go to a situation where they have an opportunity to win quickly,” Curran said.
But there could be an opportunity for the Patriots to make a convincing enough pitch to either veteran player, Curran said.
“Can the Patriots present a case right now that allows them to say, ‘Hey, we have a vision here, we're going to be good in short order?’” he said.
If the Browns signaled they would listen to offers for Garrett, he believes the Patriots should put one of their biggest assets on the table: this year’s fourth overall pick.
“Will Myles Garrett get his way? It’s obviously a far different situation than Kupp’s because he's one of the best players in the NFL and he carries a massive amount of money,” Curran said.
“He would, to me, be worthy of considering giving up the fourth overall pick for,” he continued.
If Garrett is interested in playing in New England, he’s likely more valuable than any player the Patriots could acquire with that fourth overall pick.
“Say Myles Garrett says, ‘I'll go to this team, that team, that team, that team,’ and the Patriots were able to put a structure together, I would include the fourth overall pick for him and not bat an eye about paying him because he is that good,” Curran said.
While Curran says he doesn’t know whether the Patriots will consider trading the pick, he said the quality of this year’s class shouldn’t impress them.
“I don’t know how they view the draft right now. I don’t know how they view this group in terms of what will immediately yield a fix,” he said.
“I would move that pick because I don’t think you’re going to get a generational talent. I don’t think that generational talent really exists in every draft, just by the nature of the phrase, they’re not [there] all the time. This is a pedestrian draft. I’d give up four for a player like Garrett.”