Best of The Herd

Wild day: the Rams land Miles Garrett, and I love the conviction. It’s a win‑now swing that keeps him away from Philly, fits Matt Stafford’s timeline, and lines up perfectly with a Super Bowl in L.A.; drafting Ty Simpson made spending future firsts easier.

Come on, let’s not throw dirt on the Niners and Seahawks just yet, but yeah, this ramped up fast.

This goes back to the Rams exploring A.J. Brown and Devante Adams, then deciding Ty Simpson secured their QB future so they could push picks forward. It hurt to move Jared Verse, but adding Garrett and Trent McDuffie to last year’s core is the kind of calculated pain you take for the best defender in football.

Were the Eagles in on Garrett too, or was that just smoke?

They’re in on everything, but cap reality bit; restructuring well finally caught up, which is why they pivoted to Jonathan Greenard and, yes, A.J. Brown to the Patriots is one to watch. Credit to Howie and ownership for chasing rings, but this wasn’t the window to match the Rams’ offer.

The Rams can pay stars because they keep hitting on mid‑round guys; that’s the overlooked piece.

Exactly—comp picks, third and fourth round gems like Byron Young, Kobe Turner, Puka Nacua, and Kyren Williams give them that flexibility. They haven’t ignored picks; they’ve maximized them without needing firsts.

For Cleveland folks yelling tank, I don’t buy it; Andrew Berry’s sharp. What’s the real play?

It’s timelines, not tanking—the pivot after that big trade 13 months ago was about getting younger. Now they inject Verse at 25, stack another first and more premium picks, and build a deeper core around whoever wins at quarterback.

The Giants just added OBJ and JuJu, which sounds like Malik Nabers insurance; should fans be worried about September?

Cleanup procedures aren’t unusual, but it’s fair to be uneasy this far from the initial injury, so they stocked up and drafted Malachi Fields to buy time. There’s still a path to Week One, but they’re clearly bracing for a slower ramp.

Bottom line, this league is off the rails in the best way.

Why the Rams did it: Garrett’s a force, Stafford’s window is now, the Super Bowl’s in their backyard, and Cleveland’s March tweak to the bonus timing opened the door. Taking Ty Simpson at thirteen meant L.A. could ship out a future first without sweating the next QB chase.

That was the whole idea—secure the quarterback pipeline now, then deal picks later with confidence.

Mary Kay, Browns fans loved Garrett, but this haul plus Verse off two strong drafts makes sense, right?

It really does. Getting Jared Verse’s upside and a stack of early picks makes the pain of losing a two‑time Defensive Player of the Year tolerable for a team reshaping its core.

Quick pulse check on Shadour and the Browns’ near term—are they trying to win right now?

Yes, they want wins this season, and landing Verse signals that. The competition continues, but a healthy Deshaun Watson probably gives them the best chance today.

What are the Rams getting in Garrett beyond sacks?

A freaky, relentless pro who’s still operating like he’s in his mid‑twenties and sets the tone in the room. He can tilt games for L.A. and push them to the sport’s biggest stage.

Appreciate you jumping on.

Parting thought: Garrett’s numbers should spike with the Rams playing from ahead, because fourth quarters will turn into pass‑rush feasts. Go ahead and sketch the parade route—kidding, kind of.