Great question — the dead-money situation is actually a huge factor in understanding the why behind the Garrett trade. Here's how it all connects:
The Browns carried $116.8M in dead money for 2026 — second-most in the NFL, behind only Miami's $179.2M (from the Denzel Ward page, citing The Athletic).
That massive dead-cap burden (mostly from the Deshaun Watson contract) forced Cleveland into a full rebuild. Trading Garrett on June 1 (a post-June 1 designation) helped them spread the cap hit and begin a financial reset.
The compensation itself wasn't suppressed by the dead money — because Garrett is a transcendent player coming off a historic 23-sack season. The Browns got a strong package:
- Jared Verse (cost-controlled young pass rusher, 2024 DROY)
- 2027 first-round pick
- 2028 second-round pick
- Conditional 2029 third-rounder (can escalate to a first if the Rams trade Garrett to an AFC North team)
The dead-money problem actually explains why the Browns prioritized getting Verse (a cheap, rookie-deal player) rather than a pure picks package — they couldn't afford to take on big salaries in return. The Athletic's Zac Jackson noted the Browns could follow Denver's blueprint of managing dead cap while drafting fresh talent.
Bottom line: The dead-money hole is why the rebuild is happening at all, but Garrett's elite value (and the Rams' all-in urgency) meant the trade compensation still reflected a superstar price tag. USA Today ranked it the #1 NFL trade of the last decade.