Cleveland Browns

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders' revelation of his favorite team to play with in EA Sports' Madden NFL 25 could provide an indication of his landing spot in the 2025 NFL draft.

During a behind-the-scenes video of his trip to Las Vegas, Sanders was speaking with a friend who revealed, "He can only play with one team, the [Cleveland] Browns." Sanders confirmed that the declaration was correct.

"I like the way they move around on there," Sanders said around the 3:00 mark. "I like the setup."

The Browns own the No. 2 pick in April's draft, and they could use it to secure their quarterback of the future. Cleveland lost starting quarterback Deshaun Watson to a torn Achilles midway through the 2024 season, and he re-ruptured his Achilles last month, putting his availability for the 2025 campaign in serious doubt.

Sanders is considered one of the top quarterback prospects in this year's class alongside Miami's Cam Ward. In a recent mock draft, B/R's NFL Scouting Department predicted that Sanders would land with the New York Giants at the No. 3 pick.

Perhaps Sanders' revelation of his favorite Madden franchise could influence the Browns to take a chance on him when the draft rolls around in a couple months.

Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett communicated a trade request to the team "weeks" before he went public with the demand.

Garrett announced Feb. 3 in a statement he wants out, citing his desire to win a Super Bowl title.

According to The MMQB's Albert Breer, however, "his request had been in for a couple of weeks."

"My sense would be that the request becoming public came as a result of some level of frustration from the former Defensive Player of the Year," Breer said. "The Browns told him they wouldn't deal him. They've messaged that to other teams. And Cleveland planting its feet in the ground on that would motivate Garrett to go public."

At least one NFL personnel evaluator has serious doubts the Browns actually trade Garrett.

"There is no way they are going to trade that guy," the anonymous exec said to The Athletic's Mike Sando. "They would be crazy to. I think they are just going to sit on it and simmer it down. That said, when (offensive guard Joel) Bitonio came out and said he had doubts as well, it affirmed for me that this is all about Deshaun Watson. I think they want him out of the building and they want a clear path to no more drama."

An immediate reaction from many was that the six-time Pro Bowler's days in Cleveland are numbered.

Thanks in part to the Deshaun Watson trade being such a spectacular failure, whatever title window the Browns once had seems to have closed. Beyond the extent to which Garrett's trade request will linger around the organization, dealing him might be the most straightforward way for the front office to accelerate a rebuild.

Maybe the anonymous executive's read on the situation will instead prove to be correct.

Soon, free agency and the NFL draft will give fans something else to talk about, thus taking the focus away from Garrett and his future in Cleveland. General manager Andrew Berry might in turn feel a little less pressure to act.

Still, it's tough to see what the front office can do to address Garrett's concerns when the Browns are projected to be more than $30.1 million over the salary cap. Cutting ties with Watson is out of the question, too, thanks to the financial consequences.

Cleveland is going to have a new starting quarterback for 2025; that much is clear. The team may struggle to identify one who's enough of an upgrade to lift the team into contention.

Myles Garrett has already spoken in depth about his desire to be traded from the Cleveland Browns this offseason, citing a desire to compete for championships, and has previously mentioned consulting LeBron James on the decision.

On Sunday, he spoke again on those topics during an appearance on ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown:

This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis.

For more from Bleacher Report on this topic and from around the sports world, check out our B/R app, homepage and social feeds—including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Myles Garrett wants to be traded, and the Cleveland Browns don't want to trade him.

And, reportedly, both sides have remained firm in their position in recent days.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that Cleveland's "stance hasn't changed" regarding Garrett's trade request.

It was clear Garrett's future would be a major talking point during the upcoming offseason when the pass-rusher requested a trade Monday with a statement that explained he wants to win a Super Bowl and believes it will be easier to make that happen away from Cleveland:

However, a Browns spokesperson told Tom Withers of the Associated Press, "we aren't entertaining trade offers for Myles."

What's more, general manager Andrew Berry told reporters last month, "We always have a really good and direct two-way communication with our players. We feel really good about Myles obviously as a big piece of our future. We're looking forward to him being on the field. Like I said in my (early January) press conference, we envision him going from Cleveland to Canton when his career is over."

That may be Cleveland's position, but things can change.

Dianna Russini of The Athletic noted teams from both conferences have called the Browns and been told, "We are not moving him… but stay tuned."

She also reported she believes potential suitors want to complete a trade prior to the start of the new league year on March 12, which is notable because Garrett has been in New Orleans ahead of the Super Bowl because he "knows the league's biggest decision-makers are all in town."

Russini continued, adding, "publicly, the Browns are standing firm, but behind the scenes? This isn't a smoke screen. Sources close to Garrett say he's not bluffing."

While no team wants to lose a player of Garrett's caliber, this could at least be an opportunity for a Browns team coming off a 3-14 season to accelerate a rebuild with significant draft capital or younger players.

Pelissero and Rapoport suggested the six-time Pro Bowler "would be expected to command massive trade compensation" seeing how he is still just 29 years old with two years remaining on his current deal.

He wouldn't just be a short-term rental for a potential contender that needs to bolster its pass-rush, which would give the AFC North team the chance to demand plenty in return.

First, the Browns front office will have to change the way it feels about the situation.

As Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb approaches his first free agency, he is holding out some hope to stay in Cleveland.

The 29-year-old spoke about his pending unrestricted free agency and acknowledged that his history with the Browns makes staying with the franchise his preference.

"Of course," Chubb told the Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. "This is where I was drafted. This is where I've played the last seven years."

However, Chubb also said that he wasn't exactly sure how the process will go but that he would not like it to be drawn out.

"I'm not sure how it'll work," Chubb said, per Easterling"This is the first time I've been a free agent. But I'd like to get it done sooner than later."

Chubb has played seven NFL seasons but has only played 10 games across 2023 and 2024 due to a knee injury suffered in Week 2 of 2023. That kept him out until Week 7 of 2024 and a broken foot suffered in Week 15 ended his 2024 season.

He had 332 yards and three touchdowns on 102 carries for Cleveland in 2024. He has 6,843 career rushing yards and 51 touchdowns and has eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards four times.

NFL free agency is set to begin March 12.

The price to acquire Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett will be steep and it looks like the amount of suitable destinations will be limited.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported that people around the NFL believe trading for Garrett should require "at least two quality picks" and that the list of suitors will be limited due to his "desire to join a contender."

People I've talked to about Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett's trade market agree that his immense talent should garner at least two quality picks in return -- either two first-rounders, or a first-rounder and a high-level Day 2 pick package. They also agree the list of potential suitors would be condensed due to his desire to join a contender after requesting a trade. I've spoken to several teams that openly admit they will probably reach out to Cleveland, with the expectation that the Browns will say no to any offer. Cleveland has no plans to budge on its stance that Garrett won't be moved. Obviously, that can change; Cleveland has a savvy front office that's measured but aggressive, so perhaps the trade value will eventually be too hard to pass up. But this could drag on for a while. Sources maintain that Garrett is not motivated by money, but rather solely by a desire to win. After all, Garrett would have no problem getting a new deal from Cleveland or elsewhere. He has 14-plus sacks in each of the past four seasons and is a free agent in 2027.

This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis.

For more from Bleacher Report on this topic and from around the sports world, check out our B/R app, homepage and social feeds—including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Myles Garrett has spent his entire NFL career playing in a cold-weather city for the Cleveland Browns, and he isn't afraid to keep suiting up in the cold at his next destination if he is traded.

"I don't mind snow," he told TMZ Sports. "I just want to win. That's the main thing."

Garrett's desire to find a winning team was clear when he requested a trade from the Browns on Monday with a statement that said, in part, "While I've loved calling this city my home, my desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won't allow me to be complacent. The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl."

Despite the clear message, a spokesperson for the Browns told Tom Withers of the Associated Press, "we aren't entertaining trade offers for Myles."

That could always change as the offseason progresses, but Cleveland surely doesn't want to lose any leverage in trade discussions at this point since the star pass-rusher is signed through the 2026 campaign.

And Garrett saying he is fine going to a cold-weather city actually improves the team's overall leverage by not limiting the number of potential suitors it can talk to if and when it does start negotiating possible trades.

His ultimate destination will be a major storyline during the upcoming offseason, as Garrett is one of the best defensive players in the league and coming off another season that saw him selected to the All-Pro First Team and Pro Bowl.

It was his sixth Pro Bowl selection and fourth First-Team All-Pro nod, adding to a resume that also includes the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year and seven seasons of double-digit sack totals.

If he has to chase an eighth season of double-digit sacks in the snow, he is more than fine with it.

The Cleveland Browns are taking a flier on wide receiver Diontae Johnson following a disastrous 2024 season.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported the two sides have agreed to a one-year deal. This will be Johnson's fifth team in roughly 12 months.

He joins a Browns team looking to make a playoff push after struggles a year ago. Here's a look at the team's updated depth chart heading into the 2025 season.

2025 Cleveland Browns Depth Chart

QB: Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson

RB: Quinshon Judkins, Jerome Ford, Dylan Sampson, Pierre Strong Jr.

WR: Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, Jamari Thrash, Diontae Johnson, Michael Woods II, David Bell, Kaden Davis, DeAndre Carter, Gage Larvadain

TE: David Njoku, Harold Fannin Jr., Blake Whiteheart, Brendan Bates, Tre' McKitty

FB: Troy Hairston

The financial details of Johnson's one-year deal are unclear, but the Browns had $19.032 million in cap space available before signing him, per Spotrac.

The Pittsburgh Steelers traded the 28-year-old to the Carolina Panthers last March. Following a 1-7 start, the Panthers traded him to the Ravens ahead of the deadline. In Baltimore, he received a one-game suspension after he refused to enter a 24-19 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13. The Ravens waived him a few weeks later and he landed with the Texans, who also eventually waived him, before Baltimore brought him back.

The Ravens put in the waiver claim knowing he'd be ineligible to suit up for the playoffs, but the move ensured he'd be a restricted free agent. That opened the door for them to potentially get a 2026 compensation pick if he signed elsewhere.

It didn't look like a reunion with Baltimore was on the cards based on comments general manager Eric DeCosta made after the season ended.

The Browns could be counting on having a much more motivated version of Johnson in 2025 because it may not be a stretch to say his career is on shaky ground. The 28-year-old simply hasn't been good enough to justify the headaches he caused a season ago, and the way he burned through teams made for terrible optics.

The excitement Johnson generated by making the Pro Bowl in 2021 with 107 receptions, 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns has long since evaporated. His production proceeded to dip over the next two years before he hit his nadir in 2024.

In seven games with the Panthers, Johnson caught 30 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns. Following his trade to Baltimore, he had just three more receptions for the remainder of the campaign.

As a buy-low candidate, Johnson isn't a gamble. He has plenty of incentives to deliver on the field in order to get a better deal next spring. While his contract details are still unknown, Cleveland likely hasn't invested too much, either, which would prevent making a clean break midseason if his performance doesn't improve.