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Andrew Berry 'can't imagine a situation' where Myles Garrett isn't 'part of the' Browns
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- Andrew Berry 'can't imagine a situation' where Myles Garrett isn't 'part of the' Browns
INDIANAPOLIS — There was no wavering in Andrew Berry's voice. The Browns general manager was standing firm.
Defensive end Myles Garrett has made his demands known about wanting to be traded after the Browns went 3-14 last season. Berry has been just as adamant about where he stands in terms of fulfilling those wishes.
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"So Myles, as you guys have all heard me say, he's a huge part of our organization, really good person, he's an awesome player," Berry said Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine . "Understand the trade request and everything, but our stance really has not changed. We can't imagine a situation where not having Myles as a part of the organization is best for the Browns."
Berry wouldn't divulge how many calls he has received regarding Garrett's availability. He also wouldn't say if he had been aware of the demand before it was made public.
As for a potential offer Berry couldn't refuse, he continued to go back to his original statement.
"It would go to what I said before, where we don't have an interest in trading Myles," Berry said. "He's a big part of our team."
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Berry's tune remains the same as it has since the season ended last month. He said it two days after the season, then reiterated it weeks later at the Senior Bowl.
The fact that, since the last time Berry spoke, Garrett has gone public with a desire to be dealt to a contender doesn't change that stance. Nor does he see the demand as a line in the sand that can't be smoothed over in time.
"As I mentioned before, I understand the frustration," Berry said. "We've had plenty of dialogue. But ultimately my responsibility is to make the decisions that are ... best for the Browns, and having Myles a part in the organization is a huge piece of that."
That could include a new contract. Berry has stressed a desire to get one done with Garrett multiple times over.
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There isn't exact one timeline that works for the Browns should they actually find a level of resolution, at least not for an extension that would be as valuable as the one Garrett would command.
"I think as you've probably seen over the past five years, whenever you get into extension talks, they can happen at any time," Berry said. "I've learned not to predict those because often times those negotiations, they can go up and down and back and forth. I think if you look at our history through 2020, we've had some that have occurred in March or April. Some have occurred in June, July, some that have occurred in-season and some who have occurred as late as December.
"So I can't begin to predict, but we really do take the approach with our cash and cap planning. We take a multi-year time horizon and to accommodate the flexibility that we need."
Garrett, a four-time first-team All-Pro, has two years remaining on the contract extension he signed in 2020. At the time of that extension, the Browns were heading to an 11-5 season, a playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers and a close loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC divisional round in Berry and coach Kevin Stefanski's first year in Cleveland .
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Since then, the Browns have lost more than they've won, even with an 11-6 playoff season in 2023, for which Garrett was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year. However, they followed it up with last year's season, the second-worst record-wise behind a winless year in his rookie season in 2017.
That led to Garrett going public in December with a desire to see from the Browns a plan to get back to contention quickly. Those comments then were the catalyst that led to his eventual demand coming out the Monday before the Super Bowl, which then led to a Radio Row media blitz in New Orleans .
"It took time and lots of conversation, but just looking at the trajectory of the team, talking to some of the higher-ups… I have a lot of respect for them, but I just don't think we're aligned on where the team is going in the near future," Garrett told "The Rich Eisen Show" on Feb. 5. "I feel like the window for us as athletes is only so broad and only continues to close as years go by with anything being able to happen on that field from day to day. I want to be able to go out there and compete at the highest levels, day in and day out, and play for championships, like I said."
Garrett reiterated that stance on multiple platforms, not just in that same day, but right up until the Sunday of the Super Bowl. Each time, he made it clear that his timeline for a winner in Cleveland didn't align with the timeline he saw from the Browns themselves.
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Such comments could absolutely be taken as a direct shot at Berry and Garrett's belief in him. It wasn't the personal "Cleveland to Canton" reference made in his trade demand statement, but it certainly seemed targeted at the architect of the team.
"Yeah, so I didn't see maybe that specific thing but, like I said, we've had plenty of dialogue with Myles really since he's been a Brown and then certainly after the season with him and his camp," Berry said. "Certainly understand his frustration from last year — we're all frustrated. Our focus is on obviously making the changes, adding the pieces to make sure that we don't feel like we did at the end of last season."
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Andrew Berry holding firm on not trading Myles Garrett from Browns
