All posts by : Don Lichterman

Today, the Los Angeles Rams acquired reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns, instantly transforming both their defense and their championship outlook.

Back before the NFL Draft, I explored the possibility that the Rams could pursue a major defensive addition rather than simply using another premium draft pick. Once the draft arrived, that conversation largely disappeared. The focus shifted toward rookies, roster battles, and the development of one of the youngest defensive fronts in football.

Today, the Los Angeles Rams acquired reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns, instantly transforming both their defense and their championship outlook. While the move surprised much of the NFL world, it also revived a discussion that had quietly faded after draft weekend which was how far would the Rams be willing to go to maximize Matthew Stafford’s remaining years at quarterback?

The trade itself is easy to understand. Opportunities to acquire a player like Myles Garrett almost never arise. The only real question is whether any team can comfortably part with a player like Jared Verse, who looked capable of being a cornerstone of the Rams’ defensive front for the next decade.

The moment the trade became official about an hour ago today, it instantly became one of the most significant moves of the Sean McVay era.

Myles Garrett is one of the most dominant defensive players of his generation, a future Hall of Famer capable of changing games by himself. Yet the story of this trade is not simply about acquiring Garrett. It is about what the Rams were willing to surrender in order to get him.

I honestly do not care about draft picks. The centerpiece of this trade is Jared Verse. Let’s evaluate it while I go through the five stages of grief in real time so we can all accept that Verse is officially gone. However, the Rams did acquire the best defensive player in the NFL, and the salary structure is a work of art.

Read the entire article on the Los Angeles Rams Substack!