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'I want it for those guys': DPOY in hands, Browns star Myles Garrett wants Lombardi Trophy
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- 'I want it for those guys': DPOY in hands, Browns star Myles Garrett wants Lombardi Trophy
BEREA — Myles Garrett wasn't just considered the NFL's best defensive player a year ago. The Browns star defensive end has the trophy to prove that statement.
What the reigning Defensive Player of the Year wants now isn't just to be playing on what is considered to be the best team and the best defense in the NFL. Garrett wants the trophy that comes with that, especially the "best team" part.
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"Don't care about legacy," Garrett said after Wednesday's minicamp practice. "I want it for the city. I want it for those guys (teammates) in there. My legacy, it'll speak for itself once it's said and done. I want it for those guys because they deserve it. They go out there every single day and earn it by working hard, by putting in the time, getting up early, leaving late.
"It takes those kind of leaders every single day to really see that what we're doing is special, and we want to show that we can sustain this for an entire year and build something special."
It's not the first time Garrett has talked about wanting to win a Super Bowl. It's not even the first time he's said it since he won his first Defensive Player of the Year award in early February, because it was the last line of his acceptance speech.
The reality is it's been on Garrett's mind since he was made the No. 1 overall pick by the Browns in 2017. The only difference between then and now is the fact he's no longer the "young guy" on the team.
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett relaxes on the sideline during minicamp, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Berea.
At 27, though, Garrett would push back on that notion as well.
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"I'm still a young guy on this team," Garrett said. "Not the younger guy but still a young guy on this team."
Characterize Garrett's age however you want, what you can't dispute is his importance to whatever success the Browns have on defense. That's even if his individual numbers aren't always as shiny as some of the other elite pass rushers in the league.
A year ago, Garrett had 14 sacks, which was two behind the single-season franchise record of 16 he had posted each of the previous two season. However, while his own sack total was down slightly, the Browns' overall defensive performance was as high as it's been since the mid-1990s.
The Browns finished last regular season No. 1 in points allowed, the first time that's happened since 1994, when they went 11-5 and reached the divisional round of the playoff. They finished No. 1 in yards allowed for the first time since the 1955 NFL championship team.
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Unlike either of those previous defenses they didn't even win a playoff game after an 11-6 regular season. That's why the Browns' new defensive line coach, Jacques Cesaire — who was on the Houston Texans ' staff last year — said there's still more to draw from, both the defensive line as a whole and, most specifically, Garrett.
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett drives past Broncos offensive tackle Garett Bolles on Nov. 26, 2023, in Denver.
"Myles is the type of person that he wants to be great," Cesaire said during OTAs. "You know, he wants to be great. He's not just resting on his laurels and what he did last year, he understands that he's working. … I know he wants to come back and, obviously, when you lose in the playoffs you don't feel great about it.
"And, so, he has things that he needs to work on. Everybody's working on some things, so you're going to see a drastic improvement from everybody this year."
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Garrett has heard what his new defensive line coach — the fifth in his eight-year career — was saying loud and clear. For him, it can really be distilled down to a singular sentence.
To borrow from the college conference in which Garrett played: It just means more.
"More of everything," Garrett said. "Just more. More leadership, more plays, being more vocal, being more inspired, whatever I can do. Being more attentive, allowing a room full of guys to be themselves. We want more personality, we want more culture. There's so much more we can build on it because we left so many plays out there, myself included."
What if that "more" translates into the signature moment of Garrett's career? What if it ends up with his hands wrapped around the Lombardi Trophy?
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Even that won't leave Garrett content. There's probably nothing that could accomplish that feat for him.
"It'll never be enough," Garrett said. "I might feel a little bit of satisfaction once we win one for Cleveland , but then it's always the next year. Not going to stop until the body tells me it's time to hang them up, until I stop having fun, until I stop loving this game and wanting to be in here with my teammates. Until that stage, I'm going to be in here giving my all and just trying to do my best to improve this team."
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: Myles Garrett not satisfied with Defensive Player of the Year award
