A few days ago, we wondered on social media what the reaction around Cleveland would be if the Browns announced they would be unable to re-sign DE Myles Garrett because they simply couldn’t afford it.
It was meant to compare the view of the Browns’ ownership vs. that of the Indians, meaning people just accept the baseball team here cannot afford top players, while we feel they would be outraged in the Haslam family made the same claim.
Later that day, the news hit that the Browns were indeed seeking a long term extension with Garrett, whose contract will end following the 2021 season.
First, the Browns are in a league with a salary cap, and they have plenty of room under said cap, so it would be wise to sign their best defensive player. Second, they understand that Garrett is a star in terms of production.
Garrett has played just three NFL seasons, and already should be considered one of the Browns’ top pass rushers of all time, and when you realize he missed considerable time last season after his suspension, it’s even more impressive.
The former first overall pick is currently seventh in Cleveland history in sacks, despite playing just 37 of a possible 48 games, with 30.5. He averages .82 sacks per game.
The least amount of games played by the six men in front of him is the 41 played by Anthony Pleasant, who has 33.5 in that span, the same average as Garrett.
Of course, Pleasant’s tenure here ended when Art Modell moved the franchise to Baltimore. He played eight more seasons in the league, ending his career with 58 sacks, which would put him second of the all-time franchise list.
If Garrett gets 10 sacks in the upcoming 2020 season, that would give him 40.5 for his career, making him tied for third on the Browns’ career list, behind only Clay Matthews and Michael Dean Perry.
And if he played all 16 games, he would be there in 53 games, compared to 144 for Matthews and 109 for Perry.
Now we understand the Cleveland franchise hasn’t been blessed with dominant pass rushers since Paul Brown was fired as head coach, and certainly not since sacks were designated as an official statistic.
Since Garrett came into the league in 2017, only ten players have sacked the passer more times than the former Texas A & M standout, and of those ten, only four (Chandler Jones, Aaron Donald, Cameron Jordan, and Danielle Hunter) have totals far ahead of the Cleveland player.
His 30.5 total compares favorably to that of prime pass rushers like Von Miller (32.5), Khalil Mack (31.5), and Chris Jones (31). You have to think if Garrett would have completed the season last year, he’d be ahead of that trio.
If you are the Browns, you want to do this sooner than later to help determine your salary structure for next off-season, and you have to think the price of an elite pass rusher may increase, even with the uncertainty of this upcoming season, and whether or not fans will be allowed to attend.
This is absolutely the correct move for the Browns’ front office. Myles Garrett is an elite player, and keeping him in the orange and brown makes perfect sense.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 