The Opening Drive 4/21: Browns Crossroads: Myles Garrett, QB Urgency, Timeline Discipline, and The Latest on WR Jordyn Tyson

Addressing the Browns' timeline and how a Myles Garrett trade creates a fork in the road.

Apr 21, 2026

The Browns are staring at one of the most defining stretches of Andrew Berry’s tenure. Every major conversation, whether it’s Myles Garrett’s future, draft capital strategy, or the constant search for a quarterback, keeps circling back to the same core question: Do they truly understand their timeline?

If you step back and look at the last three years, you could argue that the Browns are lost when it comes to managing a timeline that aligns with the team’s overall direction. Now with Myles Garrett trade speculation swirling again, what is the Browns’ plan? We all hope Sheduer Sanders is the answer at quarterback, but the Browns have to be ready to take a legit swing at a franchise quarterback in 2027 if he doesn’t work out. They cannot kick the can on this anymore; they have already wasted some of the prime years of critical veterans on the defensive side of the ball. It appears Berry thought he could get the offense in shape in time for the back end of Garrett, Denzel Ward, and Grant Delpit’s prime years. If they trade Myles, it strikes me as a sign that they gave up on that plan before really trying to achieve it with a legitimate quarterback option.

To understand what happens next, it’s crucial to consider the implications: what does a Myles trade actually do to the timeline? How does it alter the plan?

If You Trade Garrett, Are You Rebuilding?

Not necessarily, but you’re getting close to that edge.

Garrett isn’t just your best player; he’s your identity on defense. Moving him doesn’t automatically mean tearing everything down, but it does force a shift in philosophy. You’re no longer built around a dominant defense carrying the load; you’re reallocating resources and trying to reshape the roster around a different path.

It works when the return is significant and intentional. If you’re turning Garrett into multiple premium assets and using that flexibility to aggressively pursue a quarterback, then it becomes a retool. You’re converting an elite non-quarterback into multiple chances to solve the most important position in sports.

Where it falls apart is if you make that move without a clear quarterback plan. Then you’ve weakened your defense without addressing your biggest issue, and whether you call it a rebuild or not, that’s exactly what it becomes.

One path is to trade Garrett and then also move Denzel Ward and other significant veterans. I am strongly against this approach; it would be brutal, especially after two consecutive losing seasons. Blowing up the defense just as you are adding talent to the offense undermines any attempt at balanced progress.

Trade Myles and attempt to stay the course, using the return to make sure you get your quarterback in the 2027 draft. If Berry could use some of the return to bring in another high-end edge, maybe the defense remains strong and can grow with the offense that will finally have another shot at a quarterback entering the equation in 2027. Blowing it all up doesn’t work in the NFL; each season is its own entity, and a few critical moves can change things in a hurry. Getting a quarterback for Todd Monken in the 2027 draft could put both sides of the ball on more equal ground and closer to competing. This has to be the plan if they do trade Garrett.

For the record, I am against trading Garrett. I maintain that the Browns should pursue a quarterback in 2027, but with Garrett still on the roster. This route is more challenging and may require giving up future assets, yet the Browns must be willing to take that swing rather than weaken their defense by trading a foundational player.

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Why Trading Future Picks Could Cost You Your Job

Todd McShay has been making the point that if you’re a general manager without a long-term answer at quarterback, you cannot afford to give away 2027 draft capital. Especially not premium capital in a draft like 2027, which could be your best shot to get your guy.

This isn’t about patience; it’s about preparation. If you’re the Browns, you have to operate with the understanding that at some point, you may need to be aggressive, moving up, outbidding other teams, or controlling the board to land a quarterback. That takes assets. If you’ve already spent those picks chasing short-term fixes, you’ve backed yourself into a corner.

And that’s where it becomes dangerous. Because once you’re relying on the board to fall your way instead of controlling your own outcome, you’re not executing a plan, you’re hoping. For a front office, that’s how timelines slip away, and jobs are lost.

The Jordyn Tyson Factor: Risk vs. Reward

Jordyn Tyson’s recent workout gave teams what they needed to see. He looked healthy, explosive, and back to his normal movement profile after dealing with a hamstring that kept him off the pre-draft circuit.

That matters. For a player with his talent, the workout wasn’t about testing numbers; it was about proving he could move the way he did on tape. By most accounts, he checked that box.

But the evaluation doesn’t stop there. Teams are still weighing the full medical history, and that’s where opinions will vary. Some will see a high-end receiver worth betting on early. Others will see enough risk to hesitate.

It should be noted that his team has done a terrific job using his workout highlights, along with some well-timed reports that he is viewed as the best receiver in this class by NFL front offices, to gain real momentum after many had him falling because of his hamstring just days ago.

That’s why his range feels wide right now, from top-10 upside to somewhere in the teens. The workout stabilized his stock, but it didn’t eliminate the debate. It just reminded everyone what the ceiling looks like if he stays healthy.

The Browns need a sure thing badly at wide receiver, and while Tyson is intriguing, the Browns cannot afford to miss on the wide receiver(s) they take in the early rounds of this draft. Tyson played one out of three games in college, a terrifying statistic and one that would have me look elsewhere when it’s time to go wide receiver.

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