Joe Thomas: Trading Myles Garrett was the right decision, even though it hurts

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Joe Thomas and Myles Garrett were teammates for one season — Garrett’s rookie year of 2017. Then Thomas retired after a terrific career, and Garrett took over as the best player on Cleveland’s roster for the next eight years. But Garrett no longer has that title, as the Browns traded him to the Rams earlier this month in a blockbuster deal. In a recent interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio, Thomas noted that he understood why Cleveland made the deal, particularly given that the Browns received Jared Verse as part of the trade package. “Yeah, I mean, I think the news came out, it probably caught a lot of people by surprise ,” Thomas said. “I knew there was always going to be a chance that the Browns [would trade] Myles, just knowing the situation they’re in and the valuable asset they had. But for Cleveland fans, it’s tough, right? Because for several of those seasons that Myles was here in Cleveland, he was the one thing we got to cheer for, right? Last year, out of the playoff hunt for a long time, but it gave us reason to be proud as Browns fans, to see him chasing that sack record, and to finally get it. And just to see the commitment that he had on the field to his team, to the city, it was incredible. “So it was really hard to hear that he was traded. It hurts everybody that Myles is not a Brown anymore.” But, Thomas continued, this trade should help set up the Browns for long-term success. “I’m not willing to accept the fact that we’re only allowed to think that our ceiling as Browns fans is to cheer for a player that’s having a good season, or breaking a record,” Thomas said. “I don’t want to lose sight of the fact that we’re still here to try to win championships. And when you look at the Myles trade, to be able to get a great young player like Jared Verse — who’s a tremendous pass rusher, who’s a great asset to that team. He’s on a friendly contract, saving money there. Getting three draft choices for Myles — a first, second, and a third. It puts us in a much better position for the next two, three, four years as we’re in this building phase. “So, as you step away from the emotion of losing Myles, you realize this puts the team in a much better situation moving forward. And it was the right decision, even though it hurts.”