The defensive end Jared Verse spoke candidly about the trade and his sudden move from LA to Cleveland during his introductory news conference on Wednesday. 

On Monday, the LA Rams traded Verse along with a first-round pick in the 2027 Draft, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick in exchange for Myles Garrett.

Verse immediately drew comparisons on how he would fit in with the defensive line and fill the place of Garrett, who was their star player for nine years. When asked about his defensive fit going from 3-4 to now 4-3, Verse felt it would complement his aggressive style well.

“Now this is an attacking front and that’s kind of my style,” said Verse to the media. “I’m very attacking and I want to get into it.”

Per Max Dible of heavy.com, Myles Garrett is the best defensive player in the league at the moment. Replacing him at the Browns is a big responsibility for Verse, who made it clear that he won’t just be carrying his predecessor’s torch.

“I’m not here to fill Myles Garrett’s shoes, I’m here to bring my own,” Verse told reporters. “I’m here to be the best version of me. And the best version of me is gonna be the best defensive player in the league.”

Verse was the Rams’ first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, who won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award and is a two-time Pro Bowler. He completed the last season as the 11th-best edge defender out of 115 players at the position across the league with 7.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss. 

Verse admitted during the conference that he was initially upset when he got to know about the trade. But that was until he learned that he was the key piece in this blockbuster deal.

"Yeah, it uh it caught me by surprise. I loved LA. I love the coaches, the organization, my teammates, you know, everybody... I was upset for, you know, a good little bit of time. But when you're an athlete, you understand the nature of business," Verse said. "And you know, that's the situation that I'm in. I'm happy to be a part of the Browns."

The excited 25-year-old concluded by saying that the Browns are going to get the best version of him. 

The Terms Between the Browns and the Rams for the Garrett-Verse Trade

The Browns had big terms for the Rams in exchange for their star two-time defensive player of the year. Verse admitted that he was surprised learning about the blockbuster transaction, which found him coming back to Ohio, where he was born.

“When the Rams first approached us with the possibility of trading Myles, we remained convinced in our position. But, as discussions intensified, we were stuck at legitimate crossroads,” said the Browns’ general manager, Andrew Berry, in a statement. 

Berry added that after much contemplation, they decided to let go of a “truly generational player” who had become their identity, to think about the organization’s benefit in the long run, per Kevin Patra of NFL.com.

The trade was made on Monday. The Rams acquired Garrett while the Browns got “a young cost-controlled star at a premium position” in the 25-year-old Jared Verse and a rich draft capital for the next three drafts. 

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Written by

Naomi Grace

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit