The Carolina Panthers are desperate for defensive acquisitions after a historically bad campaign from Ejiro Evero's unit. And it just so happens that one of the league's premier players could be available.
Myles Garrett's been among the league's most elite edge rushers for some time. He's a future first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer and one of the few defensive stars capable of turning the tide of any game. But all is not well between the defensive end and the Cleveland Browns.
The former No. 1 overall selection shocked the NFL world by officially handing in a trade request. Garrett even released a statement, which read like a goodbye. He wants to compete for a Super Bowl and doesn't believe Cleveland is the place to do that right now.
That sent the rumor mill ablaze. Players like Garrett don't tend to become available while performing at an All-Pro level. The Browns don't want to trade the player and haven't changed their stance according to reports. However, it's a fluid situation that could go either way.
Carolina Panthers named among potential suitors for Browns DE Myles Garrett
The Panthers were named among the potential suitors for Garrett by Ryan Heckman from Dawg Pound Daily. He thought offering the No. 8 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft would be a difficult proposition to turn down from the Browns' perspective, although he acknowledged that it seemed unlikely all things considered.
"The Carolina Panthers own the no. 8 overall pick in this year's draft and, while not many see them as a contender, they are a team that could be on the rise. Bryce Young made significant improvements last year; enough to warrant the notion that Carolina could have their franchise quarterback. Would the Panthers be able to do enough in a short amount of time to be considered a real contender? That seems unlikely. But, that no. 8 overall pick would be very tough to refuse if you're Cleveland."Ryan Heckman
Negotiating a trade for Garrett would be difficult enough. Convincing the Texas A&M product that this is a project ready to contend is something else entirely.
Garrett is still playing better than almost anyone (at any position). He's not getting any younger, so any trade would need his seal of approval. The Panthers made progress over the second half of 2024, but they don't look capable of entering the Super Bowl discussion just yet.
They would get a lot closer by trading for Garrett. They won't get a better player at No. 8 overall, but it looks like a step too far for Carolina at this stage of general manager Dan Morgan's long-term plan.
Morgan should place a call to see what it might take. The front-office leader plans to be aggressive in pursuit of defensive reinforcements this offseason. He didn't do enough to surround Evero with the right starting quality of sufficient depth. Being bold is the best way to accomplish this objective.
Trading for Garrett would be a bombshell of epic proportions. It's nice to think about, but this falls somewhere between pipedream and unrealistic.