The Cleveland Browns have had one of the best defensive lines in football over the past few years, thanks in large part to the presence of dominant pass rusher Myles Garrett. Now, despite entering this season without him, it intends to live up to that lofty reputation.
With Jared Verse arriving in the trade that sent Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams, the Browns have a good chance to remain among the league’s elite. As such, the front four will continue to be viewed as the engine of Cleveland’s elite defense.
Speaking at training camp, Browns defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire sent a clear message about his position group, saying it loves the role it’s been given.
“We made a deal with the entire organization that when the ball is thrown, we’re gonna sprint to the ball. We’re gonna be the first on the scene to deliver a blow on whoever catches the ball or is trying to run the ball. The second part of the engine is, we get to establish violence. We get to establish the mentality of the entire defense. We take pride in the defense trusting us with that title,” Cesaire said.
What does being the engine of the defense mean for #Browns D-line coach Jacques Cesaire?
“We get to establish violence.” pic.twitter.com/miXyKjFTlw
— Dan Labbe (@dan_labbe) August 8, 2026
Unfortunately, that engine isn’t running as smoothly as the Browns would like right now, thanks to some missing parts, particularly at tackle. Maliek Collins, who had a career-high 6.5 sacks last season despite playing in just 12 games, is on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list while coming back from a quad injury that ended his season last year.
Mike Hall Jr., who was impressive in the early days of camp, free agent Kalia Davis, and seldom-used veteran Sam Kamara are also sidelined, and Mason Graham recently returned to action after missing some practices. The concerning situation led the team to claim Patrick Jenkins off waivers from the New York Jets and to sign former UFL player Travis Bell.
Despite those absences, the desire to bring violence was applied to the Browns’ offense on Saturday, as Verse and rookie offensive tackle Spencer Fano engaged in a scuffle at the end of one drill. It may have been a sign of the offense’s frustration with being overwhelmed by their defensive teammates through most of training camp.
The Browns are expected to utilize an attack mentality under new coordinator Mike Rutenberg, and you can be sure that Cesaire will have his unit primed and ready to go when they take the field in Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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