The Cleveland Browns pulled off one of the most shocking decisions of the offseason when they decided to trade Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday.
The Browns decided to get rid of Garrett, even though he’s coming off a 2025 season in which he set an NFL record with 23 sacks. The only way a trade like this can even begin to make sense is if you’re able to get something solid in return and the Browns did exactly that.
Not only did the Browns get Jared Verse as part of the deal, but they also landed three draft picks:
- 2027 first-round pick
- 2028 second-round pick
- 2029 conditional third-round pick
For now, the deal only includes one first-round pick, but the Browns could actually end up scoring a SECOND first-round pick thanks to a bizarre conditional clause in the deal.
How the Browns could score an extra first-round pick
Of the three draft picks that Cleveland will be getting, the selection coming in 2029 is a conditional pick, which means the round of the pick could change if certain conditions are met and that’s where things get kind of interesting.
The Browns did their best to make sure that Garrett won’t end up back in the AFC North by inserting a unique clause in the deal: If the Rams trade Garrett to an AFC North team at any point between now and the 2029 NFL Draft, then Los Angeles will have to cough up a 2029 first-round pick instead of a third-rounder.
That’s it. That’s the one condition. If the Rams ship Garrett off to Pittsburgh, Cincinnati or Baltimore, then the Browns will get a first-round pick from L.A. in 2029.
Although it’s an unusual condition, it’s not unheard of. As a matter of fact, the Dallas Cowboys used this exact condition when they sent Micah Parsons to Green Bay. Under the terms of the deal, the Cowboys would get a 2028 first-round pick from the Packers if they decided to trade Parsons to another NFC East team.
Now, you might think the Browns are a little crazy for doing this, but when you’re dealing with the Rams, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Back in 2019, the Rams sent two first-round picks to Jacksonville in a trade for Jalen Ramsey. The cornerback won a Super Bowl in 2021 and got voted to three Pro Bowls during his time in L.A., but after the 2022 season, the Rams turned around and traded him to the Miami Dolphins.
The Dolphins obviously aren’t in the same division as Jacksonville, but the Rams showed that their open to trading away a star player just a few years after acquiring him. And since that’s the case, the Browns did their best to make sure Rams general manager Les Snead thinks twice before trying to trade Garrett to the Steelers, Ravens or Bengals.
Garrett is 30 years old and he’s under contract through the 2030 season, so he probably won’t be leaving L.A. unless the Rams decide to trade him, and if that happens, it almost certainly won’t be to an AFC North team thanks to this unique condition buried in the trade terms.
