Verse Wastes No Time Getting to Work in Berea
Cleveland, it’s real. Myles Garrett is a Ram, and Jared Verse is a Brown. And if you watched what happened at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus this week, there’s reason to feel something other than grief.
After his first Browns practice on Wednesday, Verse didn’t sugarcoat it — he told reporters the trade from Los Angeles “caught me by surprise” and that it was “upsetting” at first. That honesty? That’s the right kind of honesty. He was a Defensive Rookie of the Year, a two-time Pro Bowler, living in L.A., working in a good defense. Nobody’s pretending this was his dream relocation.
But here’s what matters: Verse said, “I feel like that’s a testament to not only me, but my family, how hard we work and everything like that. I feel like hard work never fails you. And to know that this wasn’t gonna go through if I wasn’t a part of it, it’s good to know. That was probably the biggest fact that brought some sunshine into this whole situation for me. I saw that and I was like, ‘yeah, they want me.’ And it was cool to know that.”
That’s a guy who’s locked in. The Browns made it crystal clear: no Verse, no deal.
Monken’s Message: Be Yourself, Not Myles
Head coach Todd Monken nailed the tone on Wednesday, and the coaching staff deserves credit for not making this about replacing the irreplaceable. “He’s going to fit us like a glove,” Monken said. “Just be yourself. There’s only one of you. Myles is already taken. And he’s an elite football player. We all know that. Jared, just be you. I see his track ascending. I see a world of upside by the way he’s wired. We’re jacked to have him.”
Verse is already showcasing that work ethic on the field — Monken noticed from his first interaction with Verse a level of excitement and willingness to be in meetings and on the practice field from day one. That’s character you can’t fake in early June.
The Trade Haul: What Cleveland Actually Got
Let’s lay it out plainly. The Browns traded Garrett on Monday to Los Angeles for defensive end Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 third-round pick. That’s a franchise-caliber edge rusher plus three picks, including a conditional sweetener: the 2029 third-round pick conveys to a first-round pick if Garrett is traded to the AFC North.
Verse is 25, the 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year, a two-time Pro Bowler, and has 12 sacks, 124 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 45 quarterback hits, five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and three passes defensed in 34 games. He’s not a consolation prize. He’s a building block.
GM Andrew Berry framed it perfectly: “He’s a perfect DNA match for our attacking front. He’s really a terror in both phases, both as a run defender and a pass rusher, and we are really, really excited to add him to our team. He allows us to continue to play defense at a high level, which has been our standard over the past several seasons.”
The Jersey Number Standoff
Here’s a fun subplot: as Verse gets acclimated, he might have to handle some business pertaining to his jersey number. Verse was on the field Wednesday wearing the No. 8 jersey he has donned for the first two years of his NFL career. But not too far away was Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who was also wearing his usual No. 8 jersey.
NFL rules permit two players to wear duplicate numbers during the offseason workout program, but this predicament will have to get sorted out at some point. Verse jerseys are already available for preorder — so the clock is ticking on that one.
QB Battle Still Simmering Behind the Scenes
Don’t let the Verse excitement distract you from the elephant in the room. The Browns will have another competition at quarterback heading into training camp — the group consists of veteran Deshaun Watson, second-year quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, and rookie Taylen Green.
Monken has discussed establishing a preliminary depth chart and narrowing in on the starter early, in order to utilize training camp and the preseason to their fullest advantage. Translation: someone needs to separate themselves, and fast.
Berry dodged the bigger question this week about whether the draft capital from the Garrett trade could be used to move up for a QB in 2027. Berry was asked whether the picks acquired for Garrett could help the Browns chase a quarterback in the 2027 draft. His answer: “I understand and respect the question.” That’s GM-speak for “I’m not touching that with a ten-foot pole right now.”
Mandatory Minicamp Looms: June 9-11
Attendance for OTAs is still voluntary until the beginning of mandatory veteran minicamp, set for June 9-11. That’s next week, folks. So far, veteran defenders like CB Denzel Ward and S Grant Delpit have been absent from offseason programming. Whether they show up for mandatory minicamp will be a storyline worth watching.
The Big Picture
Look, I’m not going to pretend trading Myles Garrett doesn’t sting. Over nine years, the Browns had a generational player — a No. 1 overall pick, a franchise sack record, an NFL single-season sack record, two Defensive Player of the Year awards, seven Pro Bowls, seven AP All-Pro selections. And no championship. That’s the painful truth of the Garrett era in Cleveland.
But the Browns are getting younger, building something new under Monken, and they just added a 25-year-old edge rusher who was the centerpiece of a deal they wouldn’t have made otherwise. Berry noted earlier this offseason how the Browns may have one of the youngest rosters in the NFL this upcoming season, and their moves continue to indicate they will be a young team in 2026.
The offensive line has been overhauled. They acquired Tytus Howard, signed Elgton Jenkins, Zion Johnson, and re-signed Teven Jenkins. They drafted 10 players, with eight of the 10 joining different position groups on the offense. This roster is turning over in a real way.
Jared Verse said the right things, got on the field immediately, and didn’t try to be somebody he’s not. That’s all you can ask in Week 1 of a new era. Minicamp is next. Then training camp. Then we find out if this plan is different from all the other plans.
Go Browns.
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