NFL

PHOENIX — So, we've heard Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry and Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman tell everyone Myles Garrett and A.J. Brown aren't going to be traded. But the lukewarm, imprecise and equivocal manner the messages were delivered has become an issue.And the issue is, it's causing new speculation that two of the NFL's biggest stars could indeed be traded at some point, even if it's not necessarily soon.Case in point: Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay admitted on Monday that the team had trade discussions with other teams about Davante Adams.And why would the Rams consider moving on from a receiver who led the NFL with 14 TD receptions in 2025? Because the Rams could have then used the cap savings and trade capital as part of an effort to acquire Brown from the Eagles – as an upgrade."….Onboarding other players and how it might affect Davante," McVay called it.That isn't going to happen now, but Brown is still out there. And Roseman's seemingly cautious effort in addressing that raised some eyebrows among some people at the annual meeting. "My answer to any question on A.J. Brown is ‘A.J. Brown is a member of the Eagles,’" Roseman told Philadelphia area reporters. "From my perspective, anything you ask me about A.J. Brown, I'll go right back to that." That was a far cry from Roseman's past stances in which he claimed he's not in the business of trading his most talented players. It wasn't Roseman, an accomplished wordsmith with the media, speaking from a position of strength on the matter.It was weak and almost painful.And Roseman ultimately never said he's not trading Brown.Coach Nick Sirianni, meanwhile, avoided the topic as best he could."A.J.'s an Eagle," he said. "Nothing changed from the last time I spoke to you guys. And, yeah, that's where we are."Someone asked Sirianni if he expects Brown to be with the team throughout OTAs and the coach didn't answer, turning his attention to another question.So the possibility remains. It follows the Eagles like a shadow on a sunny day. And here's a short tutorial on understanding NFL coach and general manager speak from a reporter (me) who has covered the league since 1990: These guys generally know exactly what they're doing and saying.So if they are not trading someone, they typically have no issue saying it outright.But when they are holding something back that makes them uncomfortable or when they address a situation they know might change, they become all shades of vague.That leads me to Berry. He met with Browns reporters at the NFL annual meeting and the first 1,349 questions were about Garrett. Fine, maybe the first two or three questions were about the team's best player, who is coming off a record-breaking 23-sack season but is 30 years old and seems headed to another difficult season in Cleveland as the club takes on a rebuilding project under new coach Todd Monken.So are the Browns thinking of trading their best player for, say, two or three first-round picks? (Remember the Ravens were ready to trade two first-round picks for Maxx Crosby before backing out)."Myles is a career Brown," Berry told a group of Cleveland area reporters. "He is one of the faces of our organization. I think we've been very clear both past and present in terms of our feelings. I understand all the questions. I'll be honest, I don't really want to waste a ton more breath on the topic."Here's another thing Berry didn't waste: An unequivocal statement that Garrett isn't being traded. And that left one opposing NFL GM to offer a response to OutKick."If [Berry] is definitely not ever planning to trade Garrett, first of all, I disagree because the Browns could improve without the player after what would be an enormous return," the GM who requested anonymity offered. "Second of all, if you have made the decision to keep him, just say it plainly. Put it to bed and get you guys off his butt."What I'm hearing doesn't do that. It doesn't put anything to bed."