Les Snead Seeks Myles Garrett Trade

The Months-Long Pursuit of Myles Garrett

The path to acquiring the league’s most disruptive defender began in the earliest days of the 2026 offseason. According to NBC Sports, Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay identified the need for defensive reinforcements during their very first meeting of the cycle. While the initial goal was simply to improve the unit, the opportunity to target Garrett emerged in March after the Cleveland Browns adjusted the star’s contract in a manner that signaled potential trade availability. Snead leveraged a personal rapport with Browns General Manager Andrew Berry to initiate contact. What began as informal inquiries quickly evolved into serious discussions, though the initial offers of draft capital were repeatedly rejected by Cleveland. The front office in Cleveland viewed Garrett as a cornerstone of their organization, placing him on their “Mount Rushmore” of franchise icons, which made the early stages of the negotiation a difficult hurdle for the Rams to clear. “I’ve got a good relationship with Andrew Berry, thought I’d just check in. Let’s check in. Myles, he’s a Cleveland Brown, he’s on their Mount Rushmore, so they were a no. But Andrew and I have a good relationship, we like talking about football a good bit, so I would pester him a little bit, probably jokingly at first, then we began talking a little more seriously.”Les Snead, Rams General Manager, via NBC Sports

The Cost of Championship Certainty

The negotiation reached an impasse when Cleveland demanded Jared Verse, the 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year, as part of the return package. For the Rams, parting with a young, productive pass rusher—who recorded 7.5 sacks in his 2025 sophomore campaign—represented a significant gamble against future depth. CBS Sports reports that the final package included Verse alongside a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 third-round pick. This transaction reflects the Rams’ well-established “F them picks” philosophy, which prioritizes immediate championship windows over long-term roster sustainability. While critics often point to the loss of future flexibility, the team’s track record—marked by previous aggressive acquisitions like Matthew Stafford and Jalen Ramsey—suggests a consistent organizational preference for present certainty. History, however, serves as a cautionary tale: as noted by Bleacher Report, high-profile trades involving stars like Khalil Mack or Tyreek Hill have frequently elevated team performance without guaranteeing a Lombardi Trophy.

Navigating the No-Trade Clause

Even after the two organizations reached a consensus on the trade terms, a final obstacle remained: Garrett’s no-trade clause. This contractual safeguard allowed the defensive end to unilaterally veto any move, placing the final decision in the hands of the player himself. Snead admitted to feeling anxiety over whether the months of effort would be negated by a refusal from the star. “I remember asking Andrew after about a month of talking, ‘Myles has a no-trade clause, are we going to have gone through all this and he’s going to say no?’”Les Snead, Rams General Manager, via NBC Sports Garrett ultimately accepted the deal, signaling a desire to compete for championships in a new environment. This decision effectively ends his nine-season tenure in Cleveland, where he earned five All-Pro selections and seven Pro Bowl nods. Fresh off a 2025 season where he recorded 23 sacks and won Defensive Player of the Year, Garrett now joins a Rams defense that already features impactful contributors like Byron Young and Kobie Turner.

The Impact on 2026 Power Rankings

The immediate aftermath of the trade has shifted the league’s competitive balance, with the Rams ascending to the top spot in the latest power rankings. The acquisition creates a unique historical milestone, as the Rams become the first team to roster both the reigning league MVP and the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. Conversely, the move forces the Browns into a full-scale rebuild. By parting with their most iconic player, Cleveland has effectively signaled a pivot away from immediate competition, resulting in a three-rung drop in the latest rankings. The contrast between the two franchises could not be sharper: Los Angeles is now positioned as the team to beat for the 2026 season, while Cleveland begins the process of utilizing their newly acquired draft assets to restructure for the future.