If the Cleveland Browns draft Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey in the first round Thursday night, consider it confirmation that Myles Garrett is already on his way out. That’s the read from ESPN Cleveland analyst Tony Grossi, who has covered the Browns since 1984.
Writing for The Land on Demand this week, Grossi was blunt: “If the Browns cross up everyone and select pass rushers David Bailey of Texas Tech or Rueben Bain of Miami, rest assured, Garrett will be traded on June 2.” The Browns hold the sixth overall pick. Bailey is generally projected to go in the top three or four.
Grossi sees the draft choice as the clearest possible signal on Garrett’s exit date
“If the Browns took Bailey, that’s a tip-off that they have a trade lined up with Myles,” Grossi reportedly said. “Bailey would be the successor to Myles. If they took Bailey at 12:01 AM on June 2nd, we’d have an announcement about the trade of Myles.”
Tony Grossi explains that the Browns’ draft choice at defensive end could signal their plans for Myles Garrett, suggesting that selecting a player like David Bailey may point to a potential June trade already in the works.
“If they draft a defensive end, I think it pretty much… pic.twitter.com/88v7yCnSrP
— BrownsNation.com (@BrownsNationcom) April 17, 2026
The talk about a trade for Garrett has not stopped this offseason. Cleveland changed the terms of his four-year deal worth $160 million a few months ago. This change made it easier for them to trade him if they want to. The organization has not denied a trade in direct terms from Jimmy Haslam or GM Andrew Berry, a detail Grossi has repeatedly flagged as worth noting.
Myles Garrett is a good player. He set a record with 23 sacks in 2025. He also won an award for being the defensive player for the second time. Some teams that might want to trade for Garrett are the Eagles, the 49ers, and the Seahawks.
If the team picks Bailey at number three or four, the Cleveland might not even get to make a choice about what to do with Garrett.
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