Browns should package Deshaun Watson in Myles Garrett trade, former Jets GM claims

Deshaun Watson and Myles Garrett have been tied at the hip since Watson joined the Cleveland Browns in 2022. It hasn't gone according to plan, and now the Browns want out. At least, that is what one NFL analyst claimed.

Speaking on Monday's "Get Up," former New York Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum suggested that pairing Garrett with Watson would be a deal that would work as a salary dump. It would also work best for the LA Rams.

"I spoke to a few people at Indy," Tannenbaum said. "Cleveland wants to get rid of Deshaun Watson's contract. So the only way to do that would be to pair it with Myles Garrett and go to a team like the Rams and say, 'hey, you can get Myles Garrett, but you have to eat the contract of Deshaun Watson.'"

"If you're the Rams and you want to get to the Super Bowl and beat the Eagles, you gotta have Myles Garrett to do it. And if you're the Browns, you're resetting your franchise," he added.

The Rams are still waiting to see if Braden Fiske and Jared Verse can duplicate the totality of Aaron Donald's production. Adding Myles Garrett's 14 sacks from a season ago would stop the waiting and seemingly create one of the most dominant pass rushes in the NFL, but it wouldn't be cheap.

Exploring Deshaun Watson's best options following Rams' plan

Watson at Cincinnati Bengals v Cleveland Browns - Source: Getty

Deshaun Watson's life would be significantly different if Mike Tannenbaum's plan were followed. First, it would appear that he might be backing up Matthew Stafford next season. However, it would be apparent that Watson would be left to find his job for the 2025 season.

Of course, if he decides to go through with working in 2025. Depending on when the LA Rams would release Watson, most of the positions would be filled for the year.

The quarterback could hope to play as a backup or practice squad quarterback like Daniel Jones. However, he also could simply take the year off with plenty of money scheduled to head his way. With most of the season likely to be over by the time Watson gets healthy, it might be more realistic to simply plan on hitting the ground running in 2026.

That said, Watson will be on the plus side of 30 by 2026, and the question would then be whether he wanted to call it a career or hold the clipboard. At this point, Watson could be at the start of another tumultuous time in his career. Is he up for everything that comes with that?