The Cleveland Browns are taking their first bold steps into the post-Myles Garrett era, as they have traded the future Hall of Fame pass rusher to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a hefty compensation package of draft picks. The headline addition in this trade from Cleveland's perspective, however, is former Rams first-round pick Jared Verse.
Verse, who was picked 19th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, will now take over Garrett's role as both the defensive line's cornerstone and the force multiplier for the rest of the defense. Even in a year that is about retooling as Todd Monken installs his preferred way of doing business, the Browns need to be very careful with Verse.
Expecting him to have the same impact as Garrett is a fool's errand. This fan base has every right to be thorny after years of losing and endless rebuilds, but Verse needs to be afforded a major degree of patience if he is to eventually become the type of player Cleveland can build around.
Browns need to be patient with Jared Verse after Myles Garrett trade
Verse's ability to play the run with aplomb and get to the quarterback is exactly what made him one of the best edge rushers in the NFC. However, for him to take that next step and even start sniffing the Garrett tier, he needs to get better at converting some of those pressures into sacks.
While he works on that stat, he will need to serve as the anchor of a Browns defense that has been the only reason they have had the limited success they've had in the last few years. Garrett has single-handedly wrecked games, and Verse may not have that sort of meteoric impact.
Cleveland may very well be looking toward 2027 and beyond, and this trade was likely done with the thought that Verse will be handed a major extension as soon as they are able to. However, Verse is still just 25 years old, and if the Browns are expecting him to hit the ground running with such fervor that they don't need to keep adding around him, that could be a major miscalculation.
The Browns may have something brewing with Verse, Mason Graham, and Carson Schwesinger as the spine of their defense. However, it is going to take some time for this unit to gel, and fans need to be willing to give them that leeway.
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