What would it actually cost for the Eagles to acquire Myles Garrett?

At the very least, it appears that Howie Roseman and the Eagles are investigating the trade market for former Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. 

It should be noted that while Garrett publicly requested a trade last month, the Browns have continued to say that they intend to keep the former No. 1 overall pick, who has spent all eight seasons of his career in Cleveland to this point. 

With that said, the Browns are hamstrung by the fully-guaranteed contract they gave to Deshaun Watson. Even if he doesn't play another game for Cleveland — which feels entirely possible given that he re-tore his right achilles tendon in January, an injury that could sideline him for all of 2025 — the Browns are on the hook for $92 million to Watson over the next two seasons. 

It's hard to see a path to the Browns competing for a Super Bowl title during the remainder of the peak of Garrett, who is 29. But if they trade him now for a bounty — on top of having the No. 2 overall pick in this year's NFL Draft — Cleveland could start to see their way out of this mess. 

Let's say that Browns general manager Andrew Berry — who was the vice president of football operations for the Eagles in 2019 — ultimately decides to move Garrett. What would it take for the Eagles to land the four-time All-Pro? 

Jeff Howe of The Athletic received this assessment from those in the know: 

"The Athletic polled 10 NFL personnel executives and coaches to get a feel for Garrett’s trade market. All believed the Browns could recoup a first-round pick, with most estimating there’d be at least a player or mid-round pick added to the package. Three sources thought the Browns would land at least a pair of first-round picks." 

Based off of those answers, here's a couple possibilities of what the Eagles could offer if they wanted to place the winning bid. 

Package 1

Eagles trade 2025 first-round pick (32nd overall), 2025 fourth-round pick (129th overall, via Detroit Lions) and Jalyx Hunt to Browns for Garrett

Analysis: Parting with Hunt — a 2024 third-round pick that started to pop during the Super Bowl run — would obviously be suboptimal. But because the Eagles have the lowest pick in the first round, they may have to find other ways to stand out in comparison to teams who have first-round picks in the teens or low-20s and are interested in Garrett. Hunt is 23 and on a rookie deal for three more years, so he would definitely be a piece that makes sense for a rebuilding team like the Browns, in addition to draft compensation. 

The second pick being a fourth-round selection is a bit of an educated guess. Perhaps the Eagles would need to include their 2025 third-round pick — the 96th overall selection — to get this deal across the finish line. 

The guess here is that even though the Eagles could be picking slightly higher in each round next year, if the Browns ultimately move Garrett, they are going to prioritize 2025 draft picks. So to trade for Garrett, you are likely going to have gut your 2025 war chest. 

Package 2

Eagles trade 2025 first-round pick (32nd overall), 2026 first-round pick, 2025 fourth-round pick (129th overall, via Lions) and 2026 fifth-round pick for Garrett and 2026 sixth-round pick

Analysis: This package would see the Eagles give up their next two first-round picks, a tough pill to swallow even if you're getting back a player that sets next year's selection up to be close to, if not exactly, 32. 

In addition to moving this year's fourth-round pick as well, the Eagles would swap their 2026 fifth-round pick for Cleveland's 2026 sixth-round pick. These type of trades that allow the team giving up the established player to move one of their selections up a round — although the difference in this case might only be five or so picks — have become popular in recent years. 

Such a deal would allow the Eagles to acquire a future Hall of Famer in Garrett, but would leave them with little margin for error in the NFL Draft between this year and next. 

Will the Eagles trade for Myles Garrett? (Scott Galvin/USA Today)

 

So Should They Do Either? 

It's tough to say. Garrett has 102 1/2 sacks in his career and is one of the 10 best players in the NFL at any position. He's still at the height of his powers, but how many more years does he have there? Two? Three? 

The other reality here is that there's a decent chance on the way in the door that Garrett is going to want a new contract. He's got two years left on a five-year/$125 million extension. When will he ever have more leverage than after a team has just traded a bounty of picks for him and the fanbase is euphoric about his arrival? So with Garrett, you'd be talking about trading significant draft/player capital, and then also signing a player heading into his ninth NFL season to a major extension. 

It's not that Garrett isn't worth that commitment, but it's fair to wonder if the Eagles are the right team to make it. The Eagles are not going to uncover another Garrett at any point in the draft. But they've won Super Bowl titles in 2017 and 2024 by building tremendous depth throughout the draft on both their defensive and offensive lines. Trading away two first-round picks — along with other draft compensation — limits your ability to do that. The Eagles may want Garrett, but they've demonstrated an ability to win titles without making megadeals like that. Wouldn't a team like the Buffalo Bills, who keep knocking on the door and coming up just short in the postseason, be more motivated to risk the long-term future for a deal that would help increase their title chances over the next two seasons? 

At the same time, if you get Garrett, he will make a massive impact. Even on a team with Saquon Barkley, Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, Lane Johnson, Jalen Carter, DeVonta Smith and Jordan Mailata, Garrett might immediately be your best player. It's understandable why Roseman's interest seems to be piqued. 

From here, the first trade package that sees the Eagles give up the 32nd pick, Hunt and their fourth-round pick would be a deal worth pulling the trigger on. The second would take some more reflection.