Myles Garrett’s absence from the Cleveland Browns’ free agency minicamp appears to have created consternation, as coach Todd Monken was peppered with questions about the sack champion skipping an unnecessary portion of practice.
The first-year head coach said he has communicated with his defenseman but not spoken to him personally.
“It hasn’t been much. It’s OK,” Monken said via the team’s official website. “It’s optional. We’re making a big deal out of it. We really are. It’s optional. We have other guys besides Myles who aren’t here. I wish they were here. They’ll be ready. We expect them to be ready. And we’ll be fired up when they’re here.”
Others such as Denzel Ward and Jerry Jeudy are also absent. Monken made it clear that he interacts with each veteran on various levels.
“Yes, we were informed. And basically all the players have informed us,” he said. “They’ve been amazing with their communication. So has Myles. I mean, they’ve communicated, all right. Doesn’t mean I like the communication, but it’s voluntary. Like I wish they were all here, right? I mean, I’ve said it many times. But every one of them is a Brown, and we’re excited that they are.”
The back-and-forth is interesting in part because at the start of the free agency period, much of the Browns’ press dismissed Garrett’s absence as usual, with the star generally not showing up for the early stages of unrelated work. Now that seems like a question. The lack of direct contact beyond a simple text seems to some to point to an underlying problem.
Garrett trade rumors were sparked by the Browns changing the pass rusher’s contract, pushing the option bonus date to seven days before the regular season. The move would, in theory, make it easier for Cleveland to trade the pass — even as the Browns contend that wasn’t the reason the move was made. The timing of it all seemed odd and wasn’t explained enough, aside from GM Andrew Berry simply speaking in executive style about Garrett being a Brown career.
With the draft less than 40 hours away, if Cleveland were to consider trading Garrett for a huge draft pick, now would make sense. The absence of the Browns’ biggest star and lack of a direct relationship with his coach will continue to dominate the headlines throughout the summer, even if the draft goes ahead with Garrett still in Cleveland.