Buffalo Plus Podcast: "Why the BILLS should GO get MYLES GARRETT"

Date: February 4, 2025
Hosts: Mike Catalana (C), Jenna Cottrell (A), Dan Fetes (B)

Overview

This episode dives deep into the developing saga surrounding star edge rusher Myles Garrett’s trade request from the Cleveland Browns—and why the Buffalo Bills should make a push to acquire him. The team dissects Garrett’s immediate and long-term value, potential trade packages, cap implications, and what his addition would mean for both the defense and total team outlook. The podcast is energetic, personable, and filled with insight, analogies, and plenty of camaraderie.

Key Discussion Points

1. Should the Bills Pursue Myles Garrett?

Timestamps: [00:25]–[02:17]

• Myles Garrett’s Availability: News breaks that Garrett is seeking a trade and wants to play for a contending team, not as a contract ploy.
• Immediate Reaction:
  • Mike: “If it’s anything that’s not totally destructive to the team... Are you kidding me? Yes, you want this guy. ...if this is the player you get, you are taking a massive leap to what you want to do.” [00:50]
  • Dan: “He makes everybody else’s job around him easier…at a position of need that the Bills have spent time after time after time putting resources [into].” [01:37]
• Elite Resume:
  • 7 straight years of double-digit sacks, only 29 years old.
  • “Bonafide stud” at a position where the Bills have struggled to develop homegrown talent.

2. The Trade Market and Cleveland’s Position

Timestamps: [03:01]–[04:55]

• Cleveland’s Dilemma:
  • Mike: “The Browns are lying when they say they have no plans to trade him. ...You need to rebuild that whole team. They have screwed it up in Cleveland.” [03:01]
• Edge Market: Other edge stars (Maxx Crosby, T.J. Watt, Micah Parsons) are mentioned as comparisons; being ‘first to the table’ is crucial.
• Only Contenders in Play:
  • Mike: “The real competition for the Bills are the good teams…who have a quarterback but will be willing to invest multiple picks.” [04:06]

3. Trade Compensation: How Much Will it Take?

Timestamps: [09:24]–[14:08]

• What Will the Browns Get?
  • Likely package: Not the “three first round picks” the media touts, but a “one plus” (one first, plus additional assets).
  • Depth of the first round matters; the Bills’ late first is less valuable than others.
  • Mike: “[The Browns are] going to take a hit…dead cap…but you’re not inheriting a bad contract, you’re going to rework his contract.” [13:43–14:08]

4. Contract & Cap Maneuvering

Timestamps: [14:08]–[24:19]

• Anticipated Deal: Four years, about $140 million per Spotrac estimates.
• Cap Flexibility:
  • Bills can restructure contracts—Josh Allen, James Cook mentioned—to make room.
  • Mike: “Beans [GM Brandon Beane] is very smart at being able to manipulate [the cap]. Howie [Roseman, Eagles GM] is the best at it.” [22:24]
  • Dan: “If you make a move for Myles Garrett, there are piggy banks you can go into.” [21:34]

5. Roster and Team Construction Implications

Timestamps: [16:13]–[21:14]

• Defensive Ripple Effect:
  • “Myles Garrett fixes a lot of issues you would have in your secondary…He makes Ed Oliver better. He makes possibly Greg Rousseau better.” [17:02]
• Potential Impact on Rousseau: Discusses Rousseau’s contract and the benefit/hindrance of a fifth-year option if Garrett joins.
• Buffalo’s Build-For-Now Mindset:
  • Drawing parallels with past “big swing” moves (Von Miller, etc.).
  • Mike: “If you’re going for it, that’s what we’re talking about them doing.” [11:24]

6. Edge Rusher vs. Wide Receiver?

Timestamps: [24:30]–[26:12]

• Which Is a Bigger Need?
  • Consensus: Edge rusher trumps No. 1 wide receiver for this Bills team.
  • “With Josh Allen as my quarterback…Pass rusher is like…if you just say here, it didn’t work. It didn’t work. This one’s going to work.” [24:39, 25:45]

7. Myles Garrett’s Locker Room Fit and Desire to Win

Timestamps: [28:12]–[29:10]

• Motivation Beyond Money:
  • Mike: “He’s a made man. He wants a ring.” [29:06]
• Personality & Edge:
  • “Minus the fact that he tried to put Mason Rudolph’s helmet on...He has been a steady locker room presence.” [29:24]
  • “You want your defensive lineman to be this close to getting arrested.” [29:33]

8. Fan/Team Considerations & Wrap Up

Timestamps: [30:07]–[31:31]

• Should Every Team Want Him?
  • Mike: “Is there an opinion that is I wouldn’t want Myles Garrett? I don’t think so, right? It’s just a matter of how much you have to give up…” [30:07]
• Bills as Favorites:
  • Odds-wise, Buffalo is listed as the favorite destination.
  • Comparing deals for OBJ, Von Miller—reminder that trades vs. free agent signings are very different.
• Fun Farewells:
  • Running joke about “[bona fide]” pronunciation wraps up as the hosts riff.
  • “Everybody loves picks till they’re players.” [27:38]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“You want this guy. ...if this is the player you get, you are taking a massive leap to what you want to do.”
— Mike Catalana [00:50]

“He makes everybody else’s job around him easier and can help everybody next to him.”
— Jenna Cottrell [01:16]

“If you don’t think [Beane] is looking at this roster and going, ‘man, we need to get better defensive line,’ I don’t think he’d be gun shy, scared. Money don’t make money. Right, Jenna?”
— Dan Fetes [16:13]

“I always say: Everybody loves picks until they become players.”
— Dan Fetes [27:38]

“Beans good at [the cap]. ...You can look at Josh and say, ‘Hey, Josh, we’re gonna get you a pass rusher. We’re going to get you a guy that can win you a game on the other side and get after Patrick Mahomes.’”
— Jenna Cottrell [22:23]

“He is a made man. He wants a ring.”
— Mike Catalana [29:06]

Segment Highlights (Timestamps)

• 0:25–2:17: Opening reactions and debate over “bona fide” pronunciation.
• 3:01–4:55: Browns’ hand is forced; trade market dynamics.
• 9:24–14:08: Possible compensation; cap realities; how trade might actually go down.
• 17:02–19:03: Home improvement and football analogies—how Garrett “makes the whole house better.”
• 21:34–24:19: Deeper dive on salary cap, restructuring contracts, and whether the Bills can really pull this off.
• 27:38–28:07: Dan’s “Everybody loves picks until they become players”—instant classic quote.
• 29:24–29:41: Locker room presence and the “right amount of crazy” for defensive line.
• 30:07–31:31: Willingness to pay, weigh priorities, Bills as betting favorites, outro banter.

Tone and Style

• Energetic, witty, and honest: The trio blends hard analysis with playful ribbing (especially over words like "bona fide").
• Insider Touch: They make clear they’re well plugged-in; reference direct questions to Beane and beat knowledge.
• Analogy-Heavy: Home improvement, finance, golf, and betting idioms keep it lively.
• Buffalo-Centric: Every angle is run through the prism of the Bills’ needs and culture.

Summary/Takeaway

The hosts are unified: If the Bills have any real shot at acquiring Myles Garrett, they must absolutely pursue him. He offers transformative value as a true “game wrecker,” and with Buffalo already in win-now mode, sacrificing picks and pushing cap boundaries make sense. The only real debate is how much you give up, not whether to try.

The only question left: How hard will Beane push to make “bona fide” history?

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