The Browns vociferously insisted all offseason they weren’t planning on trading Garrett, the face of the franchise, after inking him to a four-year, $160 million extension last offseason. Yet, when the club modified his option bonus from March to seven days before the regular season, it opened up a greater possibility of the Browns moving on from the edge rusher.
Despite Berry’s protestations that he wouldn’t trade Garrett, the fact that the star player had never met with new coach Todd Monken, stayed away from voluntary offseason workouts and had his contract adjusted provided breadcrumbs that a move might be coming.
Once they got past the June 1 deadline, the Browns signaled their full-on rebuild by moving their best player. Waiting until now has allowed Cleveland to split the $41 million in dead money on the salary cap over the next two seasons — $15.53 million in 2026, $25.56 million in 2027 — rather than taking it all on in 2026.
The Browns spent the offseason revamping their offense, completely overhauling the offensive line and drafting receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston. However, the significant questions remain at quarterback, where Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders are expected to compete for the starting gig. If the franchise quarterback isn’t on the roster, moving on from Garrett now allows them to obtain picks that could help obtain one down the road. If the Browns continued to flounder, the net return on the pass rusher one or two years from now would have been significantly less.
Trading Garrett takes a massive bite out of the Browns defense, but getting Verse back softens the blow a smidge. Last year, Garrett gobbled up 23 QB takedowns while no other player on the roster hit the seven-sack mark. Cleveland now adds Verse, a bull-dog pass rusher from Dayton, Ohio, who can run over blockers and brings upside. The timeline of Verse, who is still growing his game, better aligns with Cleveland’s rebuild than the 30-plus-year-old Garrett.
“Chief among the considerations to make the decision was the inclusion of Jared Verse — a player our fan base will love,” Berry said. “At 25 years old with two Pro Bowls and a Defensive Rookie of the Year award under his belt, we receive a young, elite player at a premium position who will only continue to improve in his third NFL season. Jared’s passion and relentless style of play will be embraced by our fans. He will fit right in with the established identity of our defense.”
Cleveland could have held firm and hoped to turn things around with Garrett in the next few seasons. However, his value was never going to be higher. The Rams offered a deal they couldn’t refuse.
Following the ill-fated Watson gambit in 2022, the Browns have struggled to find any sort of footing, lack assets to make significant additions, and still have no clear future under center. In one swift move, they admitted they’re still in the early stages of a rebuild under Monken and provided future picks to one day possibly get over that hump.