Myles Garrett is a name that gives headaches to opposing teams. The Cleveland Browns' prized defensive end is coming off a big campaign, and he's currently gearing up for another year of mayhem on the field. As much as offensive lines already focus on him, he'll arguably be a bigger target this coming season, considering how he just won Defensive Player of the Year.
During the Browns' ongoing training camp, Garrett was asked how he'll approach the looming season with a bigger “bulls-eye” on his back. The 28-year-old had this to say in response:
“…I look forward to it, I look forward to the challenge, whatever they throw at me,” Garrett said, per Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot. “It gets me excited. The odds just get stacked against me or against us and it’s like, ‘How are you going to find another way to be unstoppable? How are you going to find another way to change or disrupt the game? How are you going to put yourself in a position to win and put your teammates in a position to win? How do you allow them to take over if you’re going to take two or three?'
“Those are the kind of thought processes I have. If I’m going to win two, but it’s going to take too much time for me to get there, it’s getting my hands up or maybe running a game so that my guy can get free. Because they’re spending so much attention on me, it’s seeing how someone can make the play, not just me. It’s a defense full of stars. So I want all of these guys to get the opportunity to shine,” he added.
In other words, it's a warning to the rest of the league — Myles Garrett isn't backing down from anything thrown his way.
Myles Garrett: the reigning Defensive Player of the Year
As mentioned, the 6-foot-4, 272-pound defensive end was named the DPOY last season. This was due to his stellar numbers; Garrett tallied totals of 14.0 sacks, 42 combined tackles (33 solo), 30 quarterback hits, 17 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles in 16 games. He edged out Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker TJ Watt for the award, as both were the prime candidates in the voting polls.
Looking at his comments, Garrett seems to be applying a team-first mentality as well. With all the attention on him, more playmaking opportunities will surely open up for the likes of Za'Darius Smith, Dalvin Tomlinson, and even newcomers such as Devin Bush and Jordan Hicks.
Whether Myles Garrett is the one making a tackle or not, his presence on the field is a catalyst to how the Browns' defense performs, and it'll once again be a driving force for the team come September.
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