The Cleveland Browns may have lost their best player, but they got a suitable replacement. Jared Verse is in a very short list of players who could at least aspire to reach Myles Garrett's level, and adding him to the trade was a deal-breaker for this team.
Verse fit like a glove as soon as he arrived in Berea. He used to rush in a three-point stance at Florida State, so his transition to Mike Rutenberg's team should be seamless. Also, the former Los Angeles Rams star is hungry and has a big chip on his shoulder after being traded.
That's why it was refreshing to know that, despite all of that, Spencer Fano still held his own against him. When asked about the Browns' first-round pick, Verse acknowledged that the team had found a special player:
"It was good [to go against Spencer Fano]," said Verse. "He's definitely very strong, I'll give him that. When he gets his hands on you, he's going to hold on to you quick. His hands are very fast. He's very athletic. I like that. I like going up against some good battles."
Spencer Fano gets Jared Verse's stamp of approval
The Browns had a major need for blindside protection, and they used their first of two first-round selections to get Fano. The young star out of Utah was the first offensive tackle selected in a class stacked at the position, and for great reasons.
For starters, Fano looked like the best fit for Todd Monken's offensive system. He's light on his feet, and his ability to move people out of the way and climb to the second level was second-to-none among fellow rookies. That's huge for a running game that will likely feature heavy outside zone concepts.
Moreover, Fano's physicality and technique were quite refined for a player his age. Some argued that his shorter arms made him better suited to move to the interior, but so far, reports have been highly encouraging for the No. 9 pick.
The Browns are rolling with Fano at left tackle, as expected. Of course, things will be much tougher for him once he faces actual pass rush and an opposing defense, but it looks like he has all the physical traits, intangibles, and skills to be a difference-maker at such a position of need.
This team has undergone a major overhaul over the past couple of offseasons, which is most likely why it'll be so hard to convince analysts or opposing fan bases that it can compete almost right away. And as much as there are legitimate concerns about the quarterback situation, this team is just too talented to be bad.
The Browns are transitioning to a new era, with new faces and leaders on both sides of the field. A battle-tested rising star like Verse has already given Fano his stamp of approval, and that should be more than enough to ease the fans' minds ahead of training camp.
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