Denzel Ward’s praise for Jared Verse says plenty about what the Browns wanted when they moved on from Myles Garrett: not just production, but presence.
Ward, speaking with Pro Football Focus, made sure to give Garrett his due. He called him “a heck of a player, great player,” and said Garrett’s impact in Cleveland was never in question. But Ward also drew a clear line between what Garrett brought and what Verse has brought since stepping into the building.
“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.
That kind of voice matters, especially on a young defense. A team can live with quiet dominance when the roster is established and the locker room is steady. But when a group needs direction, energy and accountability, the guy who talks, challenges and keeps the standard high can end up being just as valuable as the one piling up splash plays.
That’s the lane Verse has occupied in Cleveland. The box score hasn’t popped yet, but the film has shown enough to suggest the sacks will come. He isn’t going to post 23 in a season like Garrett did in 2025, but his impact isn’t limited to that number anyway.
Verse has also been active against the run, and the transition has mattered. He came out of a 3-4 defensive scheme in Los Angeles and is adjusting to Cleveland’s 4-3 look, which naturally takes time.
His influence has shown up in ways that don’t get captured by stats. He 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 has also brought what he learned from a winning organization and helped raise the standard inside the Browns’ locker room.
Garrett remains the kind of defender every team would want on the field. Verse, though, is giving Cleveland something else too: the kind of vocal, demanding presence that can shape a young defense from the inside out.
In Other News...
Browns Return To MetLife With One Painful Problem To Settle
A return trip to MetLife Stadium brings the Browns right back to the scene of one of the uglier special teams nights in recent memory, when they were burned by two kickoff return touchdowns against the Jets. Since Byron Storer was hired as special teams coordinator, the emphasis has been on cleaning up those kinds of breakdowns, because for Cleveland this season, special teams has not been a side note - it has been part of the reason the team has been better than many expected.
Now the assignment is familiar, and so is the concern. The Jets have a return unit that can change field position in a hurry, and the Browns know exactly how costly a lapse can be in that environment. For a team trying to keep building on its surprising start, this is one of those games where attention to detail could matter as much as anything the offense or defense does. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Just Got Linked To A Massive QB Swing
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Philadelphias recent roster changes have only added to the chatter, with the Eagles said to be in a position where they may at least listen to offers. For Cleveland, the appeal is obvious: the Browns have the draft capital and roster flexibility to chase a veteran quarterback if the right opportunity emerges, even if this remains more of a proposal than a deal on the doorstep. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Could Catch The Jets In A Spot Fans Didn't Expect
The Browns trip into this weeks matchup with the Jets comes with more than the usual AFC intrigue, because even a conversation focused on New Yorks roster ends up circling back to Clevelands chances. In a Q&A with MacGregor Wells of Gang Green Nation, the discussion touched on Geno Smiths play, where the Jets defense still looks sturdy, and where the unit has been vulnerable enough to keep the game within reach for an opponent like the Browns.
Wells also pointed to safety Dane Belton as a player worth watching for New York, while rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq was mentioned as someone who could factor into the game plan. The bigger surprise, though, was the view from the Jets side of the table: despite New York being favored, Wells said he likes Cleveland to win, a reminder that this isnt a spot the Browns should be overlooking even if the betting line says otherwise. [Read more 🡒]