Patriots seen as contenders to trade for superstar edge rusher

It wasn’t the first time a player vented frustration after yet another season of futility with the Cleveland Browns. But Myles Garrett is, without question, the best player to do so. His recent declaration that he’s requested a trade (and Cleveland’s continued insistence it isn’t going to happen) sparked pre-Super Bowl conversation around the NFL, and with good reason. It isn’t often a former defensive player of the year, and one who’s still operating at that level, openly wishes to find a new team.

One publication sees it as an opportunity for the Patriots to add firepower to their popgun defense.

CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan suggests New England send the No. 4 overall pick in this draft to Cleveland, and their second-round choice in 2026, for Garrett. On the surface, it seems insane, largely due to Garrett’s screed that he wants to play for Super Bowls — it doesn’t seem New England is exactly at that point. But that’s just on the surface.

“…New England looks too far away to fit Garrett’s desires of playing on a Super Bowl contender,” Sullivan explained. “However, the team did seem to establish its quarterback of the future in Drake Maye, and now has the most amount of cap space in the league to retool the roster, which could include Garrett. Meanwhile, there’s already a preexisting relationship that could be a factor as Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel just spent the entire season in Cleveland as a coaching and personnel consultant, so he’d have firsthand knowledge of the type of player New England could be acquiring.”

These are compelling points, and while we might not have seen a team go from four wins to the Super Bowl, the Texans brought in a new coach with a new quarterback, used their assets wisely and have won playoff games in back-to-back years.

Garrett, easily one of the best players of his generation, has two years left on his contract, and the argument can be made this is him establishing leverage to receive an extension, as the Browns are mired in mediocrity under the weight of Deshaun Watson’s contract. A trade would certainly ensure Garrett becomes the highest-paid defensive player in the game.

Perhaps it’d be easier for the Patriots to just draft a future defensive superstar at No. 4 overall. But it’s certainly intriguing.