Gig Em Gazette
Fansided

Texas A&M Football: Myles Garrett Q&A with Dawg Pound Daily

By Matthew Bartlett

Apr 28, 2017; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns first round picks, defensive lineman Myles Garrett , left, defensive back Jabrill Peppers , center and tight end David Njoku talk to the media at the Cleveland Browns training facility. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 28, 2017; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns first round picks, defensive lineman Myles Garrett , left, defensive back Jabrill Peppers , center and tight end David Njoku talk to the media at the Cleveland Browns training facility. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Former Texas A&M edge rusher Myles Garrett is now a Cleveland Brown. We sit down with Dawg Pound Daily to discuss how Garrett fits with the Browns.

After months of speculation the Cleveland Browns pulled the trigger and selected Myles Garrett as the number one overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He’s packed his bags and headed north, hundreds of miles away from Texas and his favorite taco joint.

To better understand his new situation, we chatted with Tom Moore of Dawg Pound Daily. He gave us a chance to ask him a few questions about how folks in the Browns camp feel about Garrett and the team going forward.

Q: How did Browns fans feel about the drama between Trubisky and Garrett headed into the draft? Was there a favorite among the fans pre-draft?

Tom: There was a slight divide. The “get a quarterback at any cost” crowd loved the idea of drafting Mitchell Trubisky and were more than happy to overlook all the red flags because he grew up in a Cleveland suburb rooting for the Browns. Most were on board with selecting Myles Garrett, however, as they saw the value in drafting a player who can come in and make an immediate impact at what has become the second-most important position on the field.

Luckily, executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown and head coach Hue Jackson landed on the correct side of the debate.

Q: The Browns look to have a pretty impressive front seven with the addition of Garrett. What do Browns fans expect from him next season?

Tom: Honestly? Probably too much. Anything short of him being a Pro Bowl selection with double-digit sacks will be seen as a failure in the eyes of some fans and media members. More realistically, just make a tangible impact on a weekly basis, which can take on several different forms. One week it might be a key sack, another it could be freeing up a teammate to make an impact play, but as long as he is being disruptive it will all be good.

Q: What is Myles Garrett’s ceiling in Cleveland?

Tom: Whatever he wants it to be. If Garrett is as good as people make him out to be, and is as hard-working and dedicated as he says he is, then barring an injury there is no reason he can’t be a major player for the next decade.

Q: What are the expectations for the team as a whole next year? When does this team get back to the playoffs?

Tom: This is year two of a massive rebuild, so the Browns are just now exciting the crawling phase of “crawl, walk and then run.” They are going to realistically need another year together and another full offseason before they can start thinking about winning consistently, let alone the playoffs.

Fans can be impatient, but it is important to remember that the goal is not to be a one-year wonder that lucks into 10 wins and then goes back to be a four-win team. The goal is to build a team that will be a consistent winner on an annual basis. If this works out, the timing will be right for the Browns to start making a major impact in 2019 and beyond.

Q: There were Aggies fans hoping that Garrett would go “anywhere but Cleveland.” What reasons would you give to doubting Aggies to give them hope for Garrett’s career?

Tom: Look beyond the final record from last season and see what has been happening since the team hired Hue Jackson. The culture of the franchise is changing, players want to play for Jackson, and the Browns front office is operating the way that smart teams operate.

It is easy to look at the 1-15 record and say “analytics, derp,” but that is also the lazy way to look at it. This franchise was so broken that there is no way a turnaround was going to happen quickly or painlessly. Hopefully the painful part is almost over and Garrett can go a long way toward helping that become a reality.

Q: How do Cleveland fans feel about the Browns previous first round pick from Texas A&M, Johnny Manziel? Are they glad to be rid of him or wishing he’s panned out?

Tom: Manziel will go down, now and forever more, as the single worst draft pick in franchise history. The less said about his time in Cleveland the better.