BREAKING NEWS : Pros and cons of potential Packers trade for Myles Garrett

All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett wants a trade out of Cleveland. The Green Bay Packers, a team with cap space, a desire to compete for championships and a need at edge rusher, look like one of the ideal fits if the Browns eventually relent and decide to trade the future Hall of Famer.

But the Packers are also a team that historically avoids trading valuable draft capital for veteran players, and the compensation required to get Garrett could be immense.

There are obvious benefits but also plenty of obstacles on this trade from a Packers perspective.

Here are the potential pros and cons of the Packers pulling off a trade for Garrett this offseason:

Pros/Benefits

— Garrett is a generationally great player at a premium position. Modern day Reggie White isn’t hyperbole. Garrett is a six-time All-Pro and the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He has created rare production as a rusher and shows no signs of slowing down. This would be trading for one of the 5-6 best players in the game.

— The Packers have a fairly large need at edge rusher despite the investments at the position in recent years. Trading for Garrett would not only provide a game-wrecking player but also fill a big roster hole.

— The Packers see themselves as Super Bowl contenders. Brian Gutekunst himself said it’s time to start “competing for championships.” His plan is entering Year 3, and Garrett would provide a huge piece of the Super Bowl puzzle. In terms of showing urgency in this window, a trade for Garrett would be as urgent a move as the Packers could make.

— The Packers have the cap space to make a big splash. They could handle trading for Garrett’s current contract and signing him to a new one.

— While Brian Gutekunst has pushed back against trading valuable draft capital for veteran players, he also noted the Packers will make exceptions for rare players. And there is precedent here — Gutekunst and the Packers were in on the Khalil Mack trade in 2018 but just barely lost out to the Bears.

— Garrett remains in his physical prime despite being 29 years old. At PFF, Garrett has produced four straight seasons with overall grades of 90.0 or higher. He produced 172 total pressures over the last two seasons. And it’s certainly possible Garrett is one of these rare athletes like Hall of Famer Reggie White, who was productive and an elite player deep into his 30s.

— Signing Reggie White in 1993 helped the Packers win a title in 1996. Signing Charles Woodson in 2006 helped the Packers win a title in 2010. Gutekunst is well aware of the history in Green Bay, and how Ron Wolf and Ted Thompson made the rare splash to get an ascending team over the hump. Garrett could be his White/Woodson move.

Cons/Obstacles

— Substantial draft capital will be required — likely a first-round pick this year and possibly another first-round pick and other picks in future years. Trading for Garrett would not be cheap on the draft front, and the Packers are a historically draft-and-develop franchise. It’s possible the Browns may also require a young player or two to finish the deal.

— Not only will Garrett require multiple high draft picks to acquire, but the Packers would then need to sign him to a market-resetting contract. He has two years left on his current deal and will likely want a long-term and lucrative commitment from his new team.

— Trading a first-round pick this year would eliminate some of the buzz around Green Bay hosting the 2025 draft. This is a small factor, and not one that should deter the Packers from trying. Parading Garrett around Green Bay during the draft would provide plenty of buzz.

— The Packers hold the 23rd overall pick in the first round this year, so they don’t have a great asset to offer. And if trading Garrett to Green Bay, future Packers first-round picks will be valued by the Browns near the end of the first round. Getting the compensation right, and not being outbid by a competitor, will be difficult.

— Trading for and signing a player who will turn 30 during the 2025 season is a risk. No matter how good Garrett is, this would be a high risk, high reward move. The risk of injury and decline is very real for all players after 30.

— Brian Gutekunst said he feels the talent along the defensive front is good enough, and the Packers made a coaching change at defensive line coach in an attempt to get more out of the returning players. It’s possible the Packers don’t see defensive end as a big need entering the offseason.

— It’s possible this trade idea never gets off the ground. The Browns are in bad space on the salary cap front, and trading Garrett actually hurts their cap position significantly in the short term. While Garrett wants out, and players do have some power, it’s going to be tough to get the Browns to budge — especially when a trade would require torpedoing a bad cap situation by shipping away a Hall of Fame caliber player.

— Competition for Garrett will be heavy, even considering Garrett’s desire to go to a contender. Any team with the potential to be in the Super Bowl next February is probably going to entertain the idea. And there is opportunity cost if Garrett is traded to an NFC rival — which could make the path to the Super Bowl even more difficult for the Packers in 2025 and beyond.

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