One thing that immediately caught the attention of Cleveland Browns fans after the Myles Garrett trade was that no one in the locker room seemed to bat an eye. Either they always saw it coming, or they felt a certain way about the team's best player.
Garrett's impact on the field was undeniable, and his numbers were otherworldly. However, pundits and fans always questioned his true commitment to the team beyond his individual accolades. His leadership — or lack thereof — was often a talking point.
That's why it's not much of a surprise to hear Denzel Ward gush about his successor, Jared Verse.
Speaking with Pro Football Focus, Ward gave Garrett his flowers and also made sure to highlight how important Verse's vocal leadership has been to the team's winning culture.
"Definitely brought a lot of juice and just mentality as well. Myles is a heck of a player, great player, but I think Jared, he's more vocal, though. More of a vocal player, a vocal leader. Since the first day he stepped in the building, really just yelling, screaming, and making his mark out there in meetings and on the practice field, rallying guys," he said.
Jared Verse is giving the Browns the vocal leader their young defense needs
Of course, this doesn't mean the Browns should have gotten rid of Garrett just because he wasn't a true leader. He's one of the best defensive players in NFL history, and he would make any team better.
Sometimes, teams need more than that. Sometimes a team — especially one with a young roster — needs someone to rally around, a guy who can look everyone dead in the eye and call them out when they're not getting the job done. Someone who can demand 110% effort from everyone in the building because they give no less than that themselves.
Verse's Browns career has gotten off to a disappointing start numbers-wise, but the tape tells a different story. It feels like it's just a matter of time before he finally breaks through and starts piling up sacks. He won't get 23 in a season like Garrett did in 2025, but the numbers will come.
Verse is also a willing contributor in the run game. He's dynamic, coming from a 3-4 defensive scheme in Los Angeles and transitioning to Cleveland's 4-3 scheme, which takes time.
Not everything a player brings to the table reflects on the stat sheet. Verse was there to coach up rookie Spencer Fano from Day 1, and Fano now looks like the team's left tackle for years to come. Verse was also there to bring what he learned from a winning organization and raise the standard in Cleveland's locker room.
All 32 teams in the NFL would love to have Myles Garrett on the field, but that can also be said of Jared Verse in the locker room. Hopefully, it won't be long before he can also take a leap and prove why the Rams didn't want to let him go in the first place.
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