Browns' Myles Garrett's words, actions don't line up after new contract

Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett spoke to the media on Friday to discuss his previous trade demands, and his new, massive contract with the team.

Garrett signed a four-year, $160 million contract with $123.5 million guaranteed just a few weeks after formally requesting a trade out of Cleveland because he wanted to win.

RELATED: The Super Bowl champions are going to be just fine after stockpiling draft picks

On Friday, Garrett said conversations with the front office changed his mind about being traded, according to Daniel Oyefusi ESPN .

"Just having constant communication with the team, with [general manager Andrew Berry] ... talking about the plans and future of this team and how we can turn this around and turn Cleveland into a winner," Garrett said.

He cited frustration about the team's lack of success as the cause of the demand.

"I think I had some frustration," Garrett said, "and I feel like that helped us grow and have conversations that were difficult but that needed to be had and helped create a little bit more discourse, helped build some relationships and reaffirm them. And now I feel like we're in a better place and now we can move on."

"I think the fans will see that my heart is in the right place. It has never been about money. It's always been about winning. That's where my frustration lies."

That's a stark contrast from the position Garrett took before signing his massive contract; in the statement in which he requested a trade, he said his "goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to win Super Bowls."

If that doesn't make any sense to you, join the club.

If Garrett wants to win now, and contend for Super Bowls, staying in Cleveland feels like a profoundly bad idea. The Browns were one of the worst teams in the NFL last season; they had the single worst offense in the NFL last season, a passing game bereft of all hope and joy, and a defense that ranked 28th in scoring and 19th in yards allowed.

They have a roster full of holes, most notably at quarterback and running back, and outside of Garrett and cornerback Denzel Ward, there was no one on the defensive roster who really moved the needle in terms of strong play.

How is this a roster that Garrett feels can win, and win soon? Who's coming, what's changing that convinced him? Does Russell Wilson really inspire that level of confidence, if he's even getting a contract from Cleveland? Is it Travis Hunter or Cam Ward or Abdul Carter? The Browns are at least a year away from being competitive again, even if they hit on all their draft picks, and realistically, they're probably two or three years away in that division.

Garrett can say that the Browns convinced him they're going to be winners again soon, but it's hard to see what convincing argument they made that it's going to happen.

What IS plausible is that the Browns gave Garrett the kind of money that makes the sting of going 5-12 again a little bit less. The kind of cash that, as a player in a league where most guys age like milk, it's almost impossible to say no.

And that's fine; no one would fault him for getting the bag when it's offered. But don't act like you're staying in Cleveland because you believe in a franchise that has made the playoffs twice in the last 20 years, and has finished the season with a winning record just three times in that same span. Don't try and convince us that you suddenly think one of the NFL's most infamously hapless franchises is suddenly going to pull it all together and start winning Super Bowls.

Because ultimately, no one's going to buy it.

MORE TOP STORIES from The Big Lead
NFL: Latest mock drafts have Sanders falling
MLB:‘Overlap’ hat fiasco continues
NBA: Stephen Curry is still hungry for more
SPORTS MEDIA:NBC retains Olympic rights