Most of us were expecting one major NFL trade on Monday. However, we wound up with two deals that will drastically shake up the 2026 season, and one of the trades ranks among the biggest in NFL history.Â
The Los Angeles Rams made a stunning deal to acquire two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns, giving up Pro Bowl edge Jared Verse and three picks (including a 2027 first-rounder) in the process. Hours later, the New England Patriots finally landed three-time All-Pro receiver A.J. Brown after months of rumors, trading a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles.Â
Now, the debate is on regarding who won those franchise-altering moves. Did the Rams give up too much for Garrett? Were the Patriots smart to give up a first-round pick for Brown?
We asked several execs and scouts around the league those questions following Monday’s trades. From praising the Rams to questioning the Browns, here’s what they told us:Â
Eric D. Williams: The Rams moved on from a talented and productive young player in Jared Verse, along with giving up significant draft capital to acquire the best defensive player in the NFL, pass rusher Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns.
But in return, according to sources I spoke with, the Rams improved their chances of winning a Super Bowl this season â and beyond.
“Its probably a win-win, with more risk for the Rams,” a league source told me about the deal. “Its hard to argue with it for the Browns, given how much they got. As great as Garrett is, hes going into his 10th season.
“But if the Rams win a Super Bowl with him and he helps, then its awesome for them no matter what else happens. Thats how you really judge it for them. They would love to win it this year, but if they win it any time [Garrett] is on the team and he is a key factor, its a good trade. It does not need to be the 2026 season. It would be unlikely it is later than 2028, but not impossible.”
Garrett, 30, is the first reigning Defensive Player of the Year to be traded in NFL history. And the move comes a year after he set the NFL’s single-season sack record, logging 23 sacks in 2025.
So, it’s no surprise that a longtime scout who evaluated Garrett at Texas A&M in 2017 believes the star edge rusher brings a different dimension to Los Angeles’ defense.
“A really good team just got a lot better,” the scout told me. “I remember evaluating him coming out, and I thought he was generational. It used to be that generational players stayed with one team during their career, but thats not the case now.
“I think hell be a good fit with the Rams and give them something they do not have. Hes got a lot of gas left in the tank. ⦠Sometimes a good player like that will up his game even further in a new environment.”
Parting with a two-time Pro Bowler in Verse isn’t easy, as the 2024 first-round pick ranked sixth in total pressures last season, per Pro Football Focus. But giving up the 25-year-old standout â plus a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick â was worth it for Garrett, according to a front office executive I spoke with.Â
“Trading for the best defensive player in the league does not come cheap,” the executive said to me. “Its the cost of doing business.”
As for the Browns, the front office executive said receiving Verse and the draft a
