The trade heard 'round the world continues to dominate the sports landscape. You're forgiven if you woke up one of the past few days thinking: "What a strange dream. Myles Garrett to the Rams?! Hah. That would never happen." Much to the Dawg Pound's unease, it did in fact happen.
The Browns' blockbuster is somewhat unique in that the reception to it has been relatively 50/50. Some folks see the immense value in Jared Verse, but still wonder if the Browns should've eked out a little bit more — particularly a first-round pick in 2028. Others think Cleveland timed it exactly right, moving the best defender in the NFL just before his 31st birthday, and on the heels of a record-breaking season, maximizing its return in the process.
On the Kelce brothers' New Heights podcast, Jason and Travis dove into the trade and assessed it from both angles. It was the former Eagles offensive lineman who had Browns fans' ears ringing with exactly what they wanted to hear.
"Do I think it’s even? No. I think Cleveland [came out] better ... Cleveland’s getting one of the best young EDGE rushers in the league still. Jared Verse is a great player. Now, he doesn’t get the same amount of sacks, but he definitely develops pressures. This guy might be the best bull rushing defensive end in the league. I saw him take 6-foot-9, 365-pound Jordan Mailata and put him on his back. Do you know how hard that is?"
"If Verse can — he’s already got seven and a half sacks [in 2025] — if he can develop one finesse move off of that bull rush, he will easily [post] double-digit sacks every year. That’s how good this kid is.”
Jason Kelce thinks the Browns got the better end of the trade — with heaping praise for Jared Verse
Kelce qualified his statement by saying the Rams, who are firmly entrenched in a Super Bowl window, could certainly be defended if they win it all. Nonetheless, he evidently thinks the value of Jared Verse is immeasurable. The reality is, the Browns got a 25-year-old player at the most valuable position on the defensive side of the ball, who has already demonstrated the ability to dominate at the NFL level.
It will take some time for Verse to finish developing and, hopefully, reach a similar peak as Garrett. Those are, admittedly, big shoes to fill. Expecting a one-for-one replacement would likely set fans up for disappointment, and a Hall of Fame apex is not in the cards for every player. Take it from Verse himself:
"I’m not here to fill anyone’s shoes. Myles, he’s a size 13, Nikes, whatever they are. I’m a size 13 and a half, size 14, Jordans. Like, everybody’s different. I’m not here to fill his shoes. I’m here to bring my own."
In the effort to give Myles Garrett his flowers, we need not diminish Jared Verse. Fans have likely become well-versed in Verse's résumé by now, but in case you haven't yet, here's the skinny: Verse was the 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year and received Pro Bowl honors. He followed that up with another Pro Bowl season in 2025. Pro Football Focus named him their No. 11 EDGE defender last year with an 83.9 grade, and his 80 pressures ranked sixth in the league.
As Kelce noted, he's working on converting those pressures into sacks, though 12.0 sacks through his first two years is hardly something to sneeze at. It's hard to measure what Verse's trade value would have been in any other scenario. The inherent comparison that comes with replacing someone at your same position — more so when that player is Myles Garrett — puts a young, ascending star in a dimmer light. That's not Verse's fault, and it bends reality. The Browns got one.
With any controversial trade, the initial whiplash of the move starts to recede. As days pass, clarity sets in and the reality that the Browns got an absolute haul for a franchise GOAT takes center stage. I don't know if trading Myles Garrett at the peak of his powers is ever going to be a conventionally wise decision.
If you do go through with it, you could do a whole lot worse than Jared Verse.
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