The Cleveland Browns will hold their second set of OTAs this week in Barea, and assuming all goes as expected, the best player on the team will be nowhere to be found. That would be Myles Garrett, the superstar pass rusher who is not taking part in the voluntary workouts. That’s not necessarily new–Garrett did not participate in OTAs last year, either, and other Browns veterans including Denzel Ward and Grant Delpit haven’t been on site, either.
But Garrett’s absence has gotten most of the attention, for a couple of additional reasons. For one thing, the team and Garrett made an odd tweak to his contract back in March, and one of the results of that tweak is that he is now easier to trade. Any time an issue has come up around Garrett since then, it has been viewed in Cleveland through the lens of Garrett not being happy and a potential trade looming.
The other aspect that makes Garrett’s situation different is that the Browns have an entirely new coaching staff, with Todd Monken replacing Kevin Stefanski. That means a changeover in strategy and terminology. Not only is Garrett not around for that, but he has not even met Monken yet. And that’s bizarre, at the very least.
Joe Haden: Myles Garrett Absence ‘Not a Good Look’
This was a big topic on “The Deebo and Joe Show” with former NFL stars James Harrison and Joe Haden, who was with the Browns for seven seasons and made two Pro Bowls and a second-team All-Pro in his time in Cleveland. Haden said he understands where Garrett is coming from but he does not the Browns star is handling it right.
“It’s not a good look,” Haden said.
It’s not just that Garrett is missing a $1 million workout bonus by not showing up. He is also, Haden said, missing a chance to show leadership and bond with his teammates.
Said Haden: “I would love for you to show up. It would be better for you to be there. This is not ideal, I would love our defensive player of the year to be in the building. This is camaraderie, this is when you build, this is when you grow. You want your vets in there. You want them dudes in there, leading by example. Showing the way.”
Myles Garrett Absence an Opportunity for Other Browns
On the flip side, though, Haden said that Garrett’s absence gives some added chances for younger Browns to shine and perhaps catch the eye of coaches.
Said Haden: “He’s letting the young dudes get the reps because he knows it will take them a longer time to learn the system. Same reason a lot of the vets didn’t come up yet. Myles just chilling. He is gonna be there for training camp.”
And he doesn’t worry about terminology or scheme, either. For Haden, it is more about leadership and team-building.
He said: “Myles is plug and play. It ain’t gonna take Myles long to learn the terminology. He is the defensive player of the year for a reason. He’s gonna be fine. I would love for you to show up. It would be better for you to be there.”
Browns OTAs Continue
As for the Browns offseason schedule, which Garrett is forfeiting that $1 million to skip, it will pick up again on Tuesday. The complete offseason schedule from the team’s offseason workouts:
First Day: April 7
Voluntary Minicamp: April 21-23
Rookie Minicamp: May 8-10
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 19-21, May 26-28, June 2-5
Mandatory Minicamp: June 9-11
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