The Buffalo Bills have been identified as one of three NFL teams most likely to pursue Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett in a potential trade, per a Bleacher Report analysis published Sunday. Buffalo joins the Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks as franchises flagged for edge-rushing need heading into the 2026 offseason.
Garrett is a seven-time Pro Bowl selection. He became a more realistic trade candidate after Cleveland restructured his contract to reduce the financial friction of moving him. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that the Browns have no current interest in dealing their franchise cornerstone — a detail that complicates any pursuit by Buffalo’s front office brass.
Why the Buffalo Bills Have an Edge-Rushing Need
Buffalo enters the 2026 offseason with a real gap along the defensive front. The Buffalo Bills finished the 2025 season without a dominant, every-down pass rusher who could generate consistent pressure on third downs.
Offensive coordinators around the AFC exploited that structural weakness in critical moments. Buffalo ranked outside the top ten in pressure rate last season. That gap limits what defensive coordinator Bobby Babich can do with his coverage schemes when the front four cannot win one-on-one.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport specifically cited the Bills, Eagles, and Seahawks as teams whose edge-rushing needs align with Garrett’s availability, should Cleveland eventually decide to move him. The framing is speculative but grounded in roster construction logic. All three teams carry enough cap flexibility and draft capital to absorb a blockbuster deal.
Buffalo’s salary cap situation, following Josh Allen’s mega-extension and the departure of several veteran defenders, makes an aggressive trade for a proven pass rusher both appealing and financially complex. The Bills cannot simply will this deal into existence — which is exactly why Cleveland’s stated reluctance matters so much.
Myles Garrett’s Contract and Cleveland’s Revised Structure
Myles Garrett’s revised contract with the Cleveland Browns includes language that makes a trade structurally easier to execute than under his previous deal. The specific mechanics were not fully detailed in available reports, but the practical effect is clear: Cleveland now holds a cleaner off-ramp if ownership decides to pivot toward a full rebuild around younger assets.
Garrett ranks among the two or three most disruptive edge rushers in the NFL. His win-rate numbers against both the run and the pass have been elite across three consecutive seasons, with hand technique and motor that translate regardless of the defensive scheme around him.
For a team like the Buffalo Bills, which runs a predominantly four-man front under Babich, Garrett would slot in as a true LEO or strong-side end without requiring a schematic overhaul. The fit is clean on paper.
Acquiring Garrett would carry enormous cap implications, though. A player of his caliber commands a top-five edge-rusher salary. The Bills would almost certainly need to part with at least one first-round pick, likely more. General manager Brandon Beane has shown willingness to absorb cost for difference-makers, but the dead money and roster displacement that would follow deserve real scrutiny.
Key Developments in the Garrett Trade Speculation
- Bleacher Report analyst Gary Davenport named the Bills, Eagles, and Seahawks as the three most logical trade partners for Garrett based on positional need and roster construction.
- Cleveland restructured Garrett’s contract to reduce the transactional barrier to a trade, though specific dead-cap figures were not disclosed.
- NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported the Browns have no interest in trading Garrett — a direct contradiction of the speculation circulating around the league.
- A separate Eagles-Patriots rumor involving A.J. Brown was cited in the same report, suggesting Philadelphia’s offseason moves are interconnected with how aggressively the Eagles might pursue pass-rush upgrades.
- Buffalo ranked outside the top ten in NFL pressure rate in 2025, a verifiable gap that gives the Garrett speculation a statistical foundation beyond conjecture.
Does a Garrett Trade Actually Make Sense for Buffalo?
Based on available data, a Garrett trade makes theoretical sense for the Bills but carries real execution risk. Buffalo would be surrendering future draft capital at a moment when the franchise needs developmental depth behind Allen’s offensive line and in the secondary.
Garrett elevates every defensive front he plays on — but the Bills’ most urgent roster deficiencies may not be best addressed by concentrating resources at one position, however marquee the name attached to it.
Brandon Beane’s front office has historically preferred to build through the draft and targeted free agency rather than blockbuster trades, making a Garrett pursuit something of a philosophical departure. The 2022 Von Miller acquisition showed Buffalo’s willingness to swing big on pass rushers. That deal — while ultimately shortened by injury — demonstrated the defensive impact a premier edge rusher can provide in a Josh Allen-era playoff run.
Whether Beane revisits that calculus depends largely on how the Browns’ offseason unfolds and whether Cleveland’s stated reluctance softens as the draft approaches. Philadelphia and Seattle represent legitimate competition if Cleveland does change course. The Eagles carry significant cap room and draft assets, while Seattle’s defensive rebuild under coordinator Aden Durde has created an urgent need for proven edge talent.
The Buffalo Bills would need to outbid both franchises — a tall order given current cap constraints and the likelihood that at least one rival offers a richer package of picks.
What Buffalo’s Offseason Roster Strategy Reveals
The Buffalo Bills’ interest in Garrett — even at the rumor stage — reflects a broader organizational recognition that the defensive front needs a genuine upgrade to compete with Kansas City and the AFC’s elite offenses in January. Allen’s offense gives Buffalo a floor that most franchises envy. Super Bowl contention in 2026 requires a pass rush that can win without extra help from the secondary.
Garrett would provide exactly that kind of pressure. The question is whether the price Cleveland eventually demands, if the Browns shift their stance, falls within a range that Beane can accept without mortgaging the franchise’s medium-term draft strategy. For now, the Bills watch and wait — and the Browns hold all the leverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are the Buffalo Bills connected to a Myles Garrett trade?
Bleacher Report analyst Gary Davenport identified the Buffalo Bills as one of three teams — alongside the Eagles and Seahawks — whose roster construction and edge-rushing vacancy make them logical trade partners if Cleveland ever decides to move Garrett. Buffalo’s pressure-rate ranking outside the top ten in 2025 provides the statistical basis for that assessment.
Has Cleveland actually agreed to trade Myles Garrett?
No. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported the Browns have no current interest in trading Garrett. The speculation is driven by Cleveland’s contract restructure, which reduces the financial barrier to a deal, not by any confirmed Browns willingness to move their franchise cornerstone.
What would a Myles Garrett trade cost the Buffalo Bills?
A deal would almost certainly require at least one first-round pick, likely multiple picks, plus absorbing a top-five edge-rusher salary. Brandon Beane navigated a comparable situation with the 2022 Von Miller signing, but a trade for Garrett would represent a significantly larger commitment of both draft capital and cap space.
Which other teams are competing with Buffalo for Garrett?
The Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks were named alongside the Buffalo Bills as the three most likely trade destinations. Philadelphia’s offseason moves — including a reported A.J. Brown situation involving the Patriots — could affect how aggressively the Eagles pursue a pass rusher, while Seattle’s defensive rebuild under Aden Durde creates its own urgent need for edge talent.
How does Garrett’s contract restructure affect a potential trade?
The restructured deal reduces the transactional friction that previously made trading Garrett more complicated, though the specific dead-cap figures were not disclosed in available reports. The practical effect is that Cleveland now has a cleaner financial mechanism to move him if the organization shifts toward a youth-focused rebuild.
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