Myles Garrett will join the Los Angeles Rams from the Cleveland Browns in one of the biggest defensive trades in NFL history, while Odell Beckham Jr has returned to the New York Giants.
Two-time NFL defensive player of the year Garrett will join the Rams in exchange for two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Jared Verse.
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As well as Verse, the Browns also receive a 2027 first-round NFL Draft pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick.
Garrett, 30, was the top overall pick in the 2017 draft by the Browns.
He has made 412 tackles, 293 of them solo, with 125.5 quarterback sacks, 23 fumbles forced and six fumbles recovered, one for a touchdown.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry said they originally “did not envision a world” where Garrett “was not a Cleveland Brown”.
“When the Rams first approached us with the possibility of trading Myles, we remained convicted in our position,” Berry said.
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“But as discussions intensified we were stuck at a legitimate crossroads. Hold on to a truly generational player who has become the identity of our team, or do we make the difficult decision that we think is best for the organisation over the long run?
“In that framework, the decision became clear, although our emotions were muddled. As we embark on a new era of Browns football with a young core and a replenished asset base, we felt this move was important to our transition.”
Elsewhere, wide receiver AJ Brown went from the Philadelphia Eagles to the New England Patriots.
The three-time Pro Bowl receiver has 524 catches for 8,029 yards and 56 touchdowns in 105 regular-season games with the Eagles and the Tennessee Titans.
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Brown caught 78 passes over 15 games for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns.
Beckham Jr makes New York return
Wide receiver Beckham Jr has returned to the New York Giants after signing with the NFL team where he first made his name 12 years ago.
Beckham, 33, was a free agent having not played last season, when he served a six-game suspension for failing a drugs test.
He worked out for the Giants in April and again on Monday before completing his return to the franchise.
“Nothin [sic] was ever given to me I worked for everything I have. Never give up on urself [sic]. Home Team i’m back…. Let’s get it,” Beckham said on Instagram.
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Beckham was picked by the Giants in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft and spent five seasons in New York.
He made 390 receptions for 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns in 59 games for the Giants before he was traded to the Cleveland Browns in 2019.
Beckham was part of the Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl-winning team in 2022, but tore knee ligaments during the showpiece game and has struggled for form since.
He returned to the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023 before spending the 2024 campaign with the Miami Dolphins.
Across his NFL career, Beckham has recorded 575 receptions for 7,987 yards and 59 touchdowns. He has also rushed 23 times for 170 yards and one touchdown.
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