49ers news: Another offseason with Myles Garrett trade rumors

“Would Myles Garrett fit in the San Francisco 49ers’ new defense under Raheem Morris?” That’s a question that should never be uttered involving one of the most dominant players during the past decade of the NFL.

That player may have just become more accessible. On Wednesday, the Cleveland Browns reworked Myles Garrett’s contract. On the surface, it looks like a typical restructure that kicks the can down the road. But it’s the offseason. And what we do in the offseason is speculate.

Garrett was set to receive a $16.5 million. option bonus. He will now wait close to the regular season to receive that. Additionally, the reworked deal gives any inquiring teams added cap flexibility in a deal that goes through 2030–something you’d want for a player set to be 31.

Free agency has all but passed. The Browns have roughly $9 million in effective cap space. Sure, they’ll need money to sign their draft class, but the timing makes it valid to speculate. This is also the same team that proposed a rule change allowing teams to use draft picks for up to 5 years instead of 3.

If the Browns are doing their part to press the restart button and facilitate a trade, would the 49ers be interested? The answer is 31 teams should be interested. The last thing you want to do is sit idle and watch the Rams, Seahawks, or Eagles use draft picks and add a player of Garrett’s caliber. Garrett has a no-trade clause, likely limiting any potential deal to playoff teams.

Talk about a team that is always trying to get better and isn’t afraid to make big decisions, the Niners are always in play for big moves, have a roster that is getting older and needs to win now, plus Kyle Shanahan is one of the most respected coaches in the NFL. Adding Garrett after adding veteran WR Mike Evans this offseason could put San Fran in a position to leapfrog the defending Super Bowl champions in their division, the Seattle Seahawks.

The 49ers would go from contenders to Super Bowl favorites with Garrett. Worried about Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams getting off to slow starts after recovering from serious season-ending knee injuries? Garrett would quell any worries. Once Bosa regains his form, Williams would be put into a dream situation playing alongside Bosa, Garrett, and Osa Odighizuwa.

Of course, this is nothing more than conjecture after seeing a team rework a contract. The asking price would be sky-high. Still, so long as you keep your 2027 1st-round pick, it would be difficult to say no when you’re getting back Myles Garrett.