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Bills Rumors: How Much Would Myles Garrett Trade Cost Buffalo?

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Myles Garrett. defensive end, Cleveland Browns

The Buffalo Bills remain a prime landing spot if the Cleveland Browns decide to honor a trade request from defensive end Myles Garrett this offseason. The six-time Pro Bowl selection could represent the missing piece of the franchise’s championship puzzle.

Garrett wouldn’t come cheap, though. Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic helped fuel the rumor mill by laying out the blueprint for a potential trade between the Bills and Browns:

  • To Buffalo: Garrett, 2026 5th Round Pick, 2027 7th Round Pick
  • To Cleveland: DE A.J. Epenesa, 2025 1st Round Pick, 2026 1st Round Pick, 2027 4th Round Pick

Bills general manager Brandon Beane may have to decide whether it’s worth paying that price or if it’s better to invest the organization’s limited resources, especially in terms of salary-cap space, elsewhere ahead of the 2025 NFL season. All cap information included below is courtesy of Spotrac.

Bills, Myles Garrett Are Match Made in Heaven

Buffalo’s EDGE Situation

The Bills have four defensive ends under contract for next season: Epenesa, Von Miller, Greg Rousseau, and Javon Solomon. Change is needed, though. The defense finished 18th in sacks during the regular season (39). The pass rush also failed to make a substantial impact in the team’s AFC Championship Game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Two weeks later, Buffalo watched as the Philadelphia Eagles‘ defensive front dominated the Chiefs’ offensive line in a Super Bowl blowout.

In turn, it’s clear the Bills must upgrade on the edge. It’s their most pressing need, and it’s not particularly close. That’s true despite a desire for upgrades at safety, cornerback, defensive tackle, and wide receiver.

Cutting Miller is the first order of business. Nobody blamed Beane for taking a risk when he signed the future Hall of Famer to a six-year, $120 million contract in 2022. The edge rusher owned a pristine résumé and he was coming off a Super Bowl run with the Los Angeles Rams.

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Miller suffered a torn ACL during his first season in Buffalo, however, and he simply hasn’t been the same player since his return. Now 35, he’s tallied just six sacks in 31 games, including the playoffs, over the past two years. That production is well short of the $23.8 million cap hit he’s set to carry in 2025.

Correspondingly, the Bills can release the longtime Denver Broncos standout to receive either $8.4 million (pre-June 1) or $17.4 million (post-June 1) in cap savings. Including Epenesa in the Garrett trade would represent an additional $3.3 million in savings.

Garrett’s NFL Track Record

Garrett is one of the league’s most impactful players. The 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year would give the Bills defense a rock-solid foundation in the same way quarterback Josh Allen, the 2024 NFL MVP, lays the groundwork offensively.

The 29-year-old Texas A&M product is coming off a 2024 campaign where he recorded 47 total tackles, 14 sacks, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and a pass defended while playing in all 17 regular-season games. His elite 92.3 Pro Football Focus grade ranked second among edge defenders.

It continued a career-long trend of wreaking havoc in the opponent’s backfield. His 102.5 sacks already rank 58th all-time, and he should have plenty of productive years left in the tank. His other accolades include six All-Pro selections (four First Team and two Second Team).

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Garrett is also highly consistent. He hasn’t finished with less than double-digit sacks since his rookie year in 2017. That would be a welcome sight for the Bills pass rush. The group needs someone to lead the charge amid up-and-down play from Rousseau, who hasn’t developed into a high-end force.

Should Bills Meet Browns’ Asking Price?

Absolutely. The Bills and Garrett are a perfect match. The team gets a dominant edge rusher who can take over games. Garrett will also attract plenty of defensive attention. That would create a lot more one-on-one opportunities for the likes of Rousseau and Ed Oliver, as well.

Meanwhile, the defensive end would land with a championship contender after appearing in just three playoff games across eight years with the Browns. The chance to seriously compete for a Super Bowl title sits atop his wish list:

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Sure, the trade cost could make some a bit queasy. Giving up two first-round picks along with a dependable reserve like Epenesa is a lot. It’s the type of package that could come back to haunt Buffalo if Garrett doesn’t produce like he has in the past.

On the flip side, the Bills’ 2025 first-round pick is No. 30 overall, and, barring an Allen injury, they’ll be picking late in the opening round next year, too. It’s exceedingly difficult to find an instant-impact defensive end at that point in the draft.

So, Buffalo should be treating this as an all-in situation. Beane should do everything in his power to get a deal done if Garrett is truly available. There are very few players beyond Allen who should be viewed as untouchable in talks with Cleveland. The Browns will have plenty of other interested teams to use as leverage, of course.

The Bills should have other options—such as trading for the Las Vegas Raiders‘ Maxx Crosby or signing free agent Khalil Mack, who played college football at the University at Buffalo—but landing Garrett could make them the Super Bowl LX favorites.

Main Photo: [Jeff Lange] – USA Today Sports

The post Bills Rumors: How Much Would Myles Garrett Trade Cost Buffalo? appeared first on Last Word on Pro Football.