Overview
- The Browns completed a trade sending Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday in exchange for defensive end Jared Verse and other consideration.
- Todd Monken, hired in February as an offense-focused head coach, said he was never assured Garrett would remain and that Garrett missed Cleveland’s offseason workouts and did not meet with him.
- Longtime defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who had been a finalist for the head job, resigned after being passed over and said he will sit out the 2026 season while praising Garrett’s talent.
- Cleveland has installed Mike Rutenberg as its defensive coordinator and Monken has emphasized coaching the current roster rather than influencing personnel guarantees.
- The departures mark a clear shift in locker-room authority and defensive construction for the Browns and raise key questions about how Verse will replace a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and how the unit will adapt to a new scheme.