The Los Angeles Rams made the shocking trade of the year, acquiring Cleveland Browns' generational pass rusher Myles Garrett for a relatively modest price.
Kevin Stefanski's former player is someone any team would love to have. The Atlanta Falcons could've been one of the teams pursuing Garrett, and a potential trade could've included their future star defender Jalon Walker.
If the Falcons made this trade, Walker would've been the Jared Verse trade chip in the trade. But thankfully they avoided paying the price for the high-priced Defensive Player of the Year.
A Myles Garrett-to-Falcons trade almost certainly would've included Jalon Walker
The Rams gave up a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-rounder, and a 2029 third-rounder (with a unique condition), and Verse, a rising star off the edge. When looking at what the Falcons could've given up for Stefanski's old player, they could've matched the offer with the same picks and Walker.
Obviously, it would be great to have Garrett wearing red and black, even if it meant giving away the second-year defender. This would've completely changed the pass rush -- a pass rush that was already elite last season.
But shipping Walker would've had severe consequences. Jeff Ulbrich has talked about the importance of him in his defense. He brings the versatility that they lost when Kaden Elliss left Atlanta to return to New Orleans.
Garrett can't play off-the-ball like Walker. Suddenly, the Falcons would be relying on the likes of Divine Deablo and Christian Harris to be those Swiss Army Knives, which isn't their skillset. You also have to look at the financial implications of trading a rookie-contract player for an expensive one.
While the initial costs for the Rams are manageable, things balloon over the next few years with things maxing out at just below $50 million. Meanwhile, Walker's highest cap hit over the next three years is $6.5M. He also has a fifth-year option for 2029.
The likelihood of Walker reaching Garrett's stature are slim-to-none. But this is about constructing a team, not individual positions. In addition, they would've missed out on three cheap players by trading those three draft picks.
Atlanta already has a strong pass rush; their needs are elsewhere. Committing that much money, while also ridding yourself of a key defender, would've been a massive risk that a new front office wasn't willing to take.
We are also seeing them secure their own players, starting with Drake London's massive extension. Next up, Bijan Robinson, who will reset his position's market. Garrett would've messed all of that up.
All told, we can only celebrate that the former Georgia Bulldog, once again, stays in the Peach State.
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