For years, there have been rumors about the Cleveland Browns being asked about trading superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett. And for years, they've been saying no.
So what finally tipped the scales?
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, it wasn't a what, but a who: Jared Verse. Rapoport says that the Browns had been getting calls from the Los Angeles Rams and general manager Les Snead dating back to the 2026 NFL Draft. And early on, Snead was being told there was not a trade to be made involving Myles Garrett.
But Snead was persistent and kept calling until he finally added Verse into the trade discussions. When that happened, the door opened for a blockbuster deal to be made.
Cleveland Browns turned down multiple Myles Garrett trade offers before Jared Verse was included
From our breaking news coverage on @NFLNetwork: The #Rams were THE team in on Myles Garrett, and they kept pushing until it happened. pic.twitter.com/68uYehUuAG
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 1, 2026
The idea of getting a bunch of unknown draft picks for a player like Myles Garrett, no matter how impressive the haul of picks, just doesn't seem right. The idea of getting a young star player like Jared Verse and an impressive haul of picks?
That is the kind of deal that can end up being a win-win in the long run. Garrett is fresh off of his second Defensive Player of the Year campaign. He broke the NFL record by racking up an astonishing 23 sacks this past season. Even at the age of 30 going on 31 later this year, Garrett still holds incredible value, and the Browns weren't going to take anything less than a king's ransom for the NFL's best defensive player.
And that's exactly what they got.
The centerpiece of the deal, according to Rapoport, was Jared Verse.
"The Los Angeles Rams were the team...They were persistent. They reached out to the Cleveland Browns wanting to trade for Myles Garrett around the time when the Browns adjusted Myles Garrett's contract to move some bonuses up a little bit.
The Browns said, 'No, he's not available.'
The Rams tried again after the draft...they said 'No, he's not available.'
Okay, well then, they said, 'What if we included Jared Verse?' Well, that was someone the Cleveland Browns have had eyes on for a long time."
— Ian Rapoport
This trade has become a testament of patience on the part of Andrew Berry, and persistence on the part of Les Snead. Snead wouldn't take no for an answer, and Berry wouldn't budge until he was able to get a proven young player in addition to the proper draft compensation.
Now, the Browns have a stud pass rusher to reset the clock off the edge, and they also have multiple 1st-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, which is expected to be one of the best pools of prospects we've seen come along in quite some time.
And nobody in Cleveland is unaware of the team's status entering this season. Until a long-term player at the quarterback position is found, the team has to operate with that same level of self-awareness. That doesn't mean they have to trade every good player that comes up through the system, but this was the right time to move on from Garrett, painful as it is.
Adding Verse to the mix means it won't just be delayed gratification. The Browns will hit the ground running with a foundational piece to be excited about, which was vital to making this trade happen in the first place.
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