How Myles Garrett could fit within Bills D and salary cap

With Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett one of the betting favorites to be traded to the Buffalo Bills, could a Garrett-Bills partnership in 2025 work?

Anthony Miller | Dec 26, 2024

Nov 20, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) drops back to throw the ball as guard Rodger Saffold (76) blocks Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during the first half at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-Imagn Images / Tim Fuller-Imagn Images

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The Buffalo Bills are finding themselves in an interesting race to acquire one of the NFL's best pass rushers in the last 10 years when the 2025 offseason rolls around.

One of Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett's top potential landing spots could be more northeast with the Bills. Bovada has Buffalo tied as one of the favorites to land the defensive end in a trade from Cleveland.

Bills offensive lineman Dion Dawkins is already at work with some recruitment tactics. Garrett made a post where he said "He is like that". Dawkins responded to his post with a comment "iron sharpens Iron your Himothy my boy."

Garrett has been the subject of trade talks entering the back half of the season as his Browns team is sitting at 3-12 and could be in full rebuild mode. There has been no loss in production for Garrett as he leads the team with 12 sacks and most recently became one of the youngest players in NFL history to hit over 100 sacks at 27 years old.

The problem for Cleveland is even with Garrett still playing at the top of his game, they are still losing and he'll have a cap hit of about $20 million per year in the next two seasons. With the Browns needing so much help, they might need to off load him somewhere else to have money to fill other needs.

Drake Maye against the Bills in 2024 / Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Buffalo's strength this season has been the offense with Josh Allen putting up MVP numbers, but the defense has been decent and banged out throughout the season. The Bills' 34 sacks is tied for 22nd in the NFL and they are ranked 23rd in yards allowed per game with 347.7. Some reinforcement on defense is needed.

Garrett would instantly come in as the top defensive player and be an all down pass rusher. The combination of him, Greg Rousseau, A.J. Epenesa and potentially Von Miller makes for dream rushers off the edge.

But can the Bills even afford to acquire Garrett from Cleveland? Buffalo enters the offseason 28th in the NFL in cap space as the Bills will only have about $9 million to work with. That means it would require a lot of players to walk in Buffalo in order for him to afford Garrett or at least shifting in bonuses to help offset the cost.

Even the cost of trading for Garrett would be heavy as Cleveland could be looking at acquiring a first round pick which might not seem as big of an issue for a Bills team that will have a low draft pick. Buffalo would most likely have to give up more picks or a good player to make it happen which seems like not so much of a big deal, but those extra picks could be role players needed.

The fantasy of Garrett in a red and blue uniform seems like a dream made in heaven, but would it be worth it if the team has to give up so much around them to acquire his services?