The Browns added a little extra protection for themselves to complete the Myles Garrett trade to the Rams this week.
While Cleveland received edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 third-round pick from Los Angeles in exchange for Garrett, the league’s daily transaction wire noted that the final pick was conditional.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the condition on that 2029 third-round pick is that it will become a first-round pick in the event that the Rams trade Garrett to a team in the AFC North.
It doesn’t seem likely that the Rams would even want to trade Garrett at any point in the future.
But just in case they do, the Browns have at least made it unlikely that they’ll ever see Garrett twice a year on the opposing sideline.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow called this year’s roster the most talented one he’s been a part of in the NFL and the offseason moves on the defensive side of the ball are the biggest reason to feel that way.
The Bengals traded for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence after signing defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, edge rusher Boye Mafe, and safety Bryan Cook in free agency and before drafting two more defenders with their first two picks in the draft. Those moves addressed a major shortcoming for the Bengals in recent seasons and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase said on Tuesday that everyone is looking for immediate results from the new arrivals.
“At the end of the day, we got to the Super Bowl in ’21 and never went back,” Chase said, via Ben Baby of ESPN.com. “So, expectations have always been high since 2021. But now that we have improved our defense a little more, the expectations have gone up for the defense to show us what they could do.”
The defense hasn’t been the only rough spot for the Bengals during their current playoff drought, but it’s been the most glaring one and that needs to change for the Bengals to get where they want to go in 2026.
The Bengals and Bears will hold a joint practice ahead of their Aug. 22 preseason game at Paycor Stadium.
The teams will work together on Thursday, Aug. 20, marking the second time in three seasons the Bengals and Bears have practiced against each other.
Bears coach Ben Johnson and Bengals coach Zac Taylor have a close friendship dating to the 2012 season when they worked together on the Dolphins staff.
“It’s very easy,” Taylor said when asked if his friendship with Johnson affects the scheduling, via Jay Morrison of SI.com. “He’s been great. So he and I will iron that out over the next couple of days, but they’ll come here.”
The teams last practiced together in 2024, when rain marred the day. Two Bengals players were lost for the season with knee injuries, as running back Chris Evans and offensive tackle D’Ante Smith tore a patellar tendon.
Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco has been sacked by Myles Garrett and has been a teammate of Garrett in Cleveland, and Flacco knows it’s much better to be playing with Garrett than against him.
The news that Garrett is no longer a division rival after he was traded from the Browns to the Rams on Monday was met with approval by Flacco.
“Good for us,” Flacco said, via Bengals.com.
The Bengals’ two starting offensive tackles, Amarius Mims and Orlando Brown Jr., both saw the trade as good for the Rams and good for Garrett.
“I’m pretty sure anybody practicing today at the time we were practicing, no matter what it was, I assure you every team got a hold of that news,” Mims said. “It’s huge when you get a guy like Myles Garrett, a future Hall of Famer. It’s going to be a buzz. Congrats to those guys.”
Brown said it’s a good deal for Garrett to go to a contender, but that the Bengals can’t be concerned about what other teams are doing.
“It doesn’t matter. You still have to go win on Sundays. Congrats to Myles. That’s how I feel. We still have to go win,” Brown said.
With Garrett gone, the Bengals’ task of winning twice against the Browns this year gets a little easier.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor said earlier this offseason that Shemar Stewart’s development is a “priority” for the team.
The Bengals drafted Stewart in the first round in 2205, but his rookie season was marred by missed time, because of a contract dispute, as well as injuries. He had a lingering ankle injury early in the season and a torn posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Week 9.
He appeared in eight games with six tackles and a sack.
“Last year I would go out there, and I’m saying, ‘I somewhat know what I need to do, but I’m not 100 percent sure,’” Stewart said this week, via Jay Morrison of SI.com. “And then I go out there and I overthink. Then I don’t make a play. Then it’s just a whole lot of things because I’m just too up in here.”
Stewart has formed a close relationship with defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery, which he thinks will help in his development.
“I think I got my first ‘good job,’ from Jerry,” Stewart said. “That’s my guy. He never gave up on me. Always held me close even though when I wasn’t performing good, he always stood by me.”
Stewart does not project as a starter for the Bengals with free-agent signee Boye Mafe and Myles Murphy expected to hold those spots. But the Bengals still have big expectations for Stewart.
“I’ve still got a lot of work to do, but I’m so excited to play with these guys,” Stewart said. “We got two monsters added to the room, so I can’t wait to see how this year turns out.”
