Whoa!

What about all that?

Here are five long, detailed thoughts on the Browns’ blockbuster trade — the deal of the century, as it were — on Monday of defensive end Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams:

1) The Rams might have just traded for the Lombardi Trophy, given to the Super Bowl champion. They already had one of the best head coaches in the NFL in Sean McVay, and one of the best quarterbacks in Matthew Stafford, and now they have the best defensive player at any position in Garrett. Plus they have a great front office, one that proved it has the guts to seize the moment and go for it all. They’ll worry about later when later comes. Looking from the outside in, I love it. The object is to win titles, not gather NFL Draft picks. And if you’re a fan of the team that was born in Cleveland in 1937, you also have to be thrilled. So are the other teams in the AFC North, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens, who no longer have to see Garrett twice a season every season. They’re having a party in those cities.

2) And as for the Browns, well, they are now obviously even deeper into their rebuild. It’s a gamble for them, too, to be sure. They have dealt the one player they had who was truly worth watching on every play. And if this blows up in their faces, then it will be the end of General Manager Andrew Barry‘s time in Cleveland. He’s already got the stain of the worst trade in pro football history on his hands in giving up three first-round draft picks for quarterback Deshaun Watson.

3) With that in mind, then, let’s also give credit to Berry. He could’ve stood pat, but he went out and tried to make the Browns better for the future, and it is really all about the future with this team. And let’s be honest, we all knew this day — trading Garrett — was coming. It’s hardly a surprise. All that was left to be decided was the club to which he would be going and what, and who, the Browns would get in return.

4) At the top of the list of Cleveland’s haul is a great defensive end in his own right, and much younger, at only 25 years old, in Jared Verse, and a first-round draft choice in 2027. The Browns have to get Verse signed to a long-term contract as soon as possible. If somehow he should get away, then this deal will immediately turn into a disaster. We won’t need to let it play out to see if that’s the case.

5) And finally, at least for now, don’t shortchange the input that new head coach Todd Monken had in this trade.. He is not a guy to mess with. You could hear the anger in his voice when asked about Garrett. It’s one thing for Garrett not to come to practice. That’s his choice. But for him not to have any contact at all with Monken, was a slap in the coach’s face. It became more of a slap when Garrett communicated instead with new defensive coordinator,l Mike Rutenberg. That was an unprofessional thing to do. Garrett is beyond silly, stupid things like that. I am disappointed in him.

Steve King