In case you didn’t hear, Garrett told the Houston Chronicle on 27 December 2016 that, “I’d like to not go anywhere cold,” when the NFL Draft comes around starting April 27. He followed that comment up with a video on social media yesterday basically begging the Dallas Cowboys to trade QB Tony Romo and picks to move up to the top overall pick, which is currently held by the Cleveland Browns.
Does it get colder in Cleveland, or draftee Siberia, Myles?!
The video was originally taken at the College Football Awards on 8 December, where he was nominated for the Chuck Bednarik Award for the defensive player of the year. The winner was Jonathan Allen of Alabama, who is also being scouted by Cleveland.
Garrett publicly stated he would not attend the draft. Forecasted to be one of the top three selections, he could be the second number-one pick in three years not to attend (Jameis Winston by Tampa Bay in 2015). The Browns, fresh off a 1-15 season, would love to make Garrett a focal point of a revamped defense under new Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams. If selected by Cleveland, Garrett would join a much-improved Danny Shelton--the Browns first round selection in 2015--and a recently resigned LB Jamie Collins. The Browns were tied with the Miami Dolphins for 30th in the league last season against the run, giving up 142.7 yards per game. Cleveland was also second-last in sacks per game (1.6), tied for second-worst in takeaways per game (0.8), and gave up a second-worst 452 points.
The Aggie stalwart changed his tune early Saturday afternoon, claiming he would love to play for Cleveland. After all, the pay difference between #1 and #2 could be millions in guaranteed money. Garrett, 21, is an Arlington, Texas native, which is also home to the MLB’s Texas Rangers. Arlington is a mere 20 miles from downtown Dallas, so you can almost forgive Garrett’s pseudo-plea towards Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones. College Station, Texas is about 180 miles away from Dallas.
Garrett apparently wants to stay close to home for the majority of the regular season. After yesterday’s charade, his best chance would be to tumble to the Houston Texans at 25. However, he will not fall any lower than the Jacksonville Jaguars at 4. Cleveland needs QB help more than any team in football. The problem is so do the San Francisco 49ers at 2, and the Chicago Bears at 3. New 49ers’ Head Coach Kyle Shannahan--fresh off a second half gameplan that ripped Super Bowl LI away from the Atlanta Falcons--will not want to put up with Colin Kaepernick’s antics. The Bears have to start thinking hard about moving on from Jay Cutler. All three teams have been rumored to be in the hunt for trading for New England Patriots’ backup Jimmy Garoppolo.
The Browns have the inside track, after trading with New England to get Collins midway through the regular season, and have the 12th pick from the Philadelphia Eagles, acquired when they traded away #2 last year. If the Browns win the Garoppolo sweepstakes, Garrett’s nightmare comes true. Many Cleveland fans would be enamored with the possibility of drafting North Carolina QB Mitch Trebisky with the top pick, being from nearby Mentor, Ohio. However, Garrett is clearly the best player on the board going into the Combine later this month.
Cleveland may pull the string on Trebisky out of breaking tradition alone. The Browns have thrice selected a quarterback at the #22 position (Brady Quinn in 2007, Brandon Weeden in 2012, and some other guy in 2015) since returning to the NFL in 1999. They have also gone defensive end, selecting Courtney Brown first overall in 2000. Do any of those gentlemen still have a job that doesn’t involve a headset, outside of Weeden? The last time the Browns took a QB first overall was Tim Couch during their rebirth year of 1999. Couch split time with Kelly Holcomb in 2002, and aided the Browns to their last playoff appearance.
Garrett basically pulled a Johnny Manziel (that other guy I hinted at a moment ago) in begging a team to trade up to select him. His claims were that the video was taken in fun, while the Browns had yet to win a game on the season. Dallas had all but locked up the NFC East title, and Garrett had to know the chances of staying home would be slim-to-none, even if being jovial.
Garrett told reporters on Saturday:
“It was supposed to be pretty much a joke and not taken too seriously. It kind of got blown up. Take a joke, people.”
Ask your Aggie friend Manziel what clowning around before the draft does to your stock.
-JC24