Two massive blockbuster trades shook up the NFL hierarchy. The Los Angeles Rams stunned by adding Myles Garrett. The New England Patriots finally, officially dealt for A.J. Brown.
The NFL has important dates on the calendar when transactions become easier or more likely. June 1 is one such date. And on June 1, two massive blockbuster trades shook up the NFL hierarchy. The Los Angeles Rams stunned by adding Myles Garrett. The New England Patriots finally, officially dealt for A.J. Brown. It was a huge day for Super Bowl contenders.
Rams nab NFL DPOY Myles Garrett
It is not often that the reigning anything in the NFL is traded right after. It hasn’t happened that the reigning Defensive Player of the Year has switched teams in any capacity since 1997. Yet, on June 1, the Cleveland Browns traded Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams after he set the NFL single-season sack record.
It’s easy to see why both teams did this, even if it’s a tough pill to swallow for a franchise legend in Cleveland. The Browns are very bad. Garrett’s historic season from the second-most valuable position on the field did nothing to help them. He’s getting older, and they’re nowhere near contention.
Trading him gives them Jared Verse, a very good but, more importantly, much younger star edge rusher. It also sends a first-round draft pick in 2027, a second-round pick in 2028, and a third-rounder in 2029 to the Browns. They now have a good haul of picks to work with, especially after trading down in both of the last two first rounds.
For the Rams, the logic is easy to follow. Matthew Stafford is nearing 40. Their window will close soon, but it’s fully open now. They don’t need those future picks to win in that window. They need Myles Garrett. The NFL’s best defender and perhaps best player firmly makes them the Super Bowl favorite by a wide margin.
Patriots land A.J. Brown
Perhaps more expected and less surprising, the New England Patriots traded a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for A.J. Brown. The NFL world has been waiting for this exact trade, but on June 1, when contract language changed, it could finally happen.
Again, the logic is perfect for both teams. Drake Maye had an outstanding sophomore season with Stefon Diggs coming off a torn ACL as his WR1. Giving him Brown, one of the best deep threats to go with arguably the best deep thrower, will take Maye from MVP runner-up to unforeseen heights.
For the Eagles, it was just time. Brown had been disgruntled for years, and that all became very public last season. It was clear he was unhappy, as he called out the passing offense publicly. The Eagles fielded questions about his seemingly inevitable trade for what felt like forever.
Finally, they decided to pull the trigger. Brown was a very good player for them, and they won a Super Bowl with him, so trading for him initially was a good idea. It just very much ran its course. The Eagles have Devonta Smith, so it’s not like there’s a massive hole at wide receiver, either. For both sides, this trade made a lot of sense.
Zachary Roberts has written in the sports industry for over four years. He's covered the Carolina Panthers, Charlotte Hornets, Seattle Seahawks, and wider coverage of the NFL, pro golf, NHL, MLB, and NBA. He has worked with ComicBook, Sportskeeda, The Sporting News, and the On SI Network. In his free time, Zachary loves playing video games, watching movies, or reading books.
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