It is impossible to say that the Cleveland Browns will experience addition by subtraction now that they have moved on from Myles Garrett. But based on the way newcomer Jared Verse relates to his teammates, in a way Garrett maybe never did, there is a sense of optimism that the defense won’t fall off as far as some people may fear.
Browns fans have yet to get a good look at Verse in action, as he played just three snaps during the preseason. Yet, while there are many questions to be answered during the season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars next Sunday, Verse’s role does not seem to be one of them.
Verse recently shared an insightful lesson ahead of his Browns debut, saying that he knows he can rely on his teammates as much as they will rely on him.
“The first thing I learned was you can trust your teammates. You don’t got to make every superhero play. But then the thing I also learned was to throw that out the window sometimes. Sometimes you have to put that cape back on. You can’t always rely on your teammates, and your teammates can’t always just rely on you because sometimes I’m going to mess up, they’re going to mess up, and we’re going to have to be able to clean each other up,” Verse told ESPN.
Unfortunately, Verse may have to put that cape on more than anyone wanted or expected, with fellow defensive end Alex Wright lost for the season to an Achilles injury suffered during training camp. Wright was third on the team last season with 5.5 sacks in 14 games, behind Maliek Collins at 6.5 and Garrett’s record-breaking 23.0. It was thought that some teammates may have deferred to Garrett as he pursued the mark, a concern that no longer exists for players such as second-year defensive tackle Mason Graham.
Verse had 7.5 sacks for the Rams last season before being traded to the Browns as part of the Garrett deal. It was already hoped that he would increase that number significantly, but now it has become imperative that he do so, with unproven but improving Isaiah McGuire and veteran Derek Barnett on his opposite side.
Under first-time coordinator Mike Rutenberg, the Browns will try to remain the elite defense it was under Jim Schwartz. That will require outstanding play throughout a unit that includes linebackers Carson Schwesinger and Quincy Williams, and defensive backs Denzel Ward and Grant Delpit.
Verse will be looked to as one of its leaders, with a chance to be named a captain when that announcement is made.
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