The NFL world is in shock following the blockbuster trade of two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams. Per Adam Schefter, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport, Garrett will head to the Rams, and Jared Verse will head to the Cleveland Browns, and the Browns will get a 2027 first-round pick and additional draft picks.
Here's where the interesting part comes in. Per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (subscription required), the Cowboys were a team interested in Garrett, along with the Philadelphia Eagles and, of course, the Rams. Jerry Jones was flirting with the mantra of "busting the budget" this offseason, but never made the home run move that fans anticipated.
Realistically, the Cowboys seemed already set on their Day 1 draft picks, Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence, and if they were pushing for Garrett, they should've done it before the draft. Don't get me wrong, Dallas arguably won Day 1 of the draft, as stated by many analysts, but they had two first-round picks to play around with on draft night, and they decided to stick with their picks. Now, Garrett will suit up with the Rams as their new Aaron Donald.
Myles Garrett trade shows that Jerry Jones was never going to bust the budget
Fans have been speculating on what Jones actually means by "busting the budget." It seems like the phrase is more geared to securing contracts in-house rather than making the free agency splash of the century, which is what L.A. just did.
Garrett had a hometown advantage with the Cowboys, as the Defensive Player of the Year played his high school ball in the home of Jerry World, Arlington, Texas. He then blew everyone away at Texas A&M, becoming a Unanimous All-American player.
The Cowboys had every reason to trade for Trey Hendrickson, Maxx Crosby and Garrett. Turns out, Jones is now 0/3 on "busting the budget" this offseason. Per Cabot's report, a trade still seemed possible, but there was a golden chance to make some move with one of those elite pass rushers before the draft. But perhaps, maybe missing out was the blessing in disguise.
The Cowboys now have rookie safety Caleb Downs to develop, and if he projects himself to be an elite nickel back, the sky is the limit for him to eventually become a Defensive Rookie of the Year and develop from there.
While one of the best pass rushers of all time would've immediately put the Cowboys on Super Bowl watch, the Cowboys already have financial issues to worry about with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.
Pickens is on another "prove-it" season under the franchise tag. If he stays the course and follows the same production as next season, he should be a Cowboy for the long haul, but also further complicate the finances, having two WRs near the top of the market.
Before the draft, the Cowboys had the picks and even a few strong trade pieces to get Garrett, but it's time to move on now. We'll get to see Garrett Week 15 in Los Angeles, and if you're Terence Steele or Tyler Guyton, let's just say it's going to be a long day.
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