Verse’s addition changed the landscape for Berry, the Browns GM admitted Tuesday.
“One of the things that’s unique about this deal relative to maybe the other non-QB superstar deals that come out is we made a trade with players and picks,” Berry explained. “Usually when you make these trades, you’re completely trading off present for future. To get a player like Jared in the deal, where the defense still maintains its excellence, that was really attractive to us.”
In Verse, the Browns are receiving more than a first-round selection with unknown potential. Although he’s only entering his third year, Verse is a proven commodity, one who would likely be chosen higher in a redraft of the 2024 class.
For starters, the numbers are strong. In 39 career games, Verse has logged 15 sacks, 137 tackles, five forced fumbles and two Pro Bowl nods. After finishing fourth in QB pressures in his first season with the Rams, Verse took home Defensive Rookie of the Year. He’s tied for fifth in QB pressures (143) since 2024 and is also just one of five players with 40-plus QB hits and five-plus forced fumbles since 2024, a group that includes four household names — including Garrett.
Berry’s Browns aren’t getting a Garrett clone back in the deal because that kind of duplicate doesn’t (and likely never will) exist. But in the history of such significant trades, it’s rare a team finds a comparable replacement who is younger, cost controlled and better fits the club’s long-term timeline.
“I always told myself that if we were ever in a position to trade Myles, three things would have to be true,” Berry said. “No. 1, it would have to have short and long term benefits. No. 2, as part of the trade, a young, cost-controlled star at a premium position would have to be included. And the third piece is it would have to be premium draft capital. And there’s a very small set of deals that really satisfy those constraints. So, when it got to the point with our negotiations with the Rams when all those things were satisfied, it really caused us to take a step back and really think about the decision.
“Jared Verse, he’s a huge part of this return for us. Jared is an outstanding football player. Former Defensive Rookie of the Year, two-time original ballot Pro Bowler and he’s a perfect DNA match for our attacking front. He’s really a terror in both phases as a run defender and pass rusher. And we are really excited to add him to our team. He allows us to continue to play defense at a high level, which is our standard over the past several seasons and we are excited to welcome him to the organization. So, we’re excited about the transaction, and it wasn’t something that we anticipated coming into this year or spring or quite honestly coming out of the draft. But it’s a great opportunity for our team.”
Trading away a franchise icon and an all-time great is never easy, both internally and for the marketing department. But in the business of pro football, personnel executives often must choose between emotion and cold calculation. When a deal becomes too attractive to ignore and the timing is as good as it will ever be, general managers must take a big swing in order to maximize return.
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