Thoughts on the AJ Brown and Myles Garrett Trades

The NFL had two big trades that occurred while I was at the movies yesterday. I have thoughts on both deals.

AJ Brown was moved from the Eagles to the Patriots for some picks. This was an expected trade. I feel like I have been hearing that Brown was going to be traded since last season, and it always seemed like New England was going to be the destination. He wanted out of Philly and it seemed like he wanted to go to the Patriots.

This does give the Patriots a legit number 1, but it doesn't move the needle as much as others may think, at least in my opinion. Brown is a very good wideout. He can get separation, he is fast for his size, and speaking of his size, he is a big dude. But he is older now. He may have given the Eagles his best playing days. His prime may be over with. And Drake Maye is not nearly as good as Jalen Hurts. I know Jalen Hurts has his detractors, but the dude has a ring, he is one of the better dual threat QBs in the NFL and the guy knows how to throw the long ball. I think we all saw the height of Drake Maye's ability last season. I don't think it will get any better than what he showed last season. And while he had a solid season, it went downhill by the end of the year. He became a game manager. The Patriots got to the Super Bowl due to their defense. They only scored 10 points in the AFC title game. The defense is their calling card.

While AJ Brown will add a new weapon to the Patriots offense, this move feels similar to Deebo Samuel joining the Commanders last offseason. It looks all shiny and nice on paper, but when it came to the games, he was essentially a nonfactor. I get that vibe from this move. The Patriots are going to win games by running the ball and playing suffocating defense. Adding AJ Brown probably feels nice right now, but when the season starts, I don't think it will really move the needle all that much. The Patriots are also a big bet to take a step back this season. That didn't change when they acquired AJ Brown yesterday either. Last season seemed more like a fluke than anything else.

Now to the big time trade that will actually make a humongous difference.

Myles Garrett is now a member of the Los Angeles Rams. This is a humongous deal. Garrett is the best defensive player in all of football. He is a one man wrecking crew. He can disrupt an entire offensive line's game plan. He is a sack machine. Offensive lines sometimes need three guys dedicated to  blocking only him. He is on a Bruce Smith/Reggie White level at this point. Hell, he may be better than both of them. Garrett has separated himself from every other pass rusher in football. This is such a bigger move than the Packers getting Micah Parsons last season, and I loved that move. This instantly makes the Rams Super Bowl favorites going into this season. They were in title contention last season, and they seemed to be missing something on the defensive side of the ball. They lacked a genuine pass rusher. They have the best one in the game now. Adding him to this defense is a big time deal. He's now the number one piece on a defense that includes guys like Trent McDuffie, Poona Ford and Kam Kitchens.

Sure, the Rams had to trade Jared Verse and a bunch of high draft picks to get him, but who cares. I know the Rams don't. Sean McVay has always been a "f them picks" type of coach. They did it when they acquired Matthew Stafford, and won a Super Bowl I might add. And now they have done it to get Myles Garrett. I also read that Aaron Donald is maybe thinking about coming out of retirement to return to the Rams. If he were to come back, the Rams defensive front could be one of the best ever assembled. I know that defensive players never win the MVP, but Myles Garrett could be the one guy to change that. He is that good and that important to his team's success. And he got out of a bad situation in Cleveland and is now playing for what a bunch of people feel is one of the best run organizations in all of pro sports. Garrett was already a star, but playing in LA will only amplify that, and he is going to ascend to some of the highest heights in professional sports.

This was a baller move made by a franchise who is all in. This was the trade of the offseason, and maybe of the past 10 years. What a day. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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