Browns Floated 5-Year Pick Rule to Ease Myles Garrett Trade to Rams

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jun 5

Cleveland’s March proposal to let NFL teams trade draft picks up to five years ahead was likely tied to its talks to send Myles Garrett to the Rams, which had been underway since the combine.
The Browns argued the rule change would expand roster-building flexibility, but the Rams also backed it because farther-out picks could have helped them make a richer offer without hitting their near-term draft stock as hard.
The proposal was later withdrawn after Cleveland concluded it would struggle to secure the 24 votes needed for approval at the league meeting.
Los Angeles ultimately agreed to send three picks under the current 3-year limit — a 2027 first-rounder and 2028 second- and third-rounders — suggesting a 5-year window might have changed the package structure.
The episode highlights how teams are probing broader draft-trade flexibility after deals such as Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson move strained future roster-building for years.