Rams Expect Big Returns on Heavy Price Paid
by Bo Marchionte
@bomarchionte | College2Pro.com
Published June 2, 2026, 5:24 PM
The Trade That Shook Northeast Ohio
Trade Details to Know
- Myles Garrett leaves Cleveland after nine dominant seasons.
- Garrett departs as a two-time Defensive Player of the Year.
- His 23 sacks in 2025 set a new NFL single-season record.
- Cleveland acquires 24-year-old Jared Verse as the centerpiece of the deal.
- The trade signals a dramatic shift from proven greatness to future potential.
- For most Browns fans, the news landed like another punch to the gut.
For a decade, Myles Garrett wasn’t simply Cleveland’s best player. He was Cleveland. Through coaching changes, quarterback carousel rides, front-office resets and endless rebuilding efforts, Garrett remained the constant. He was the franchise cornerstone in the same way Joe Thomas anchored the Browns for nine unforgettable seasons.
Unlike many modern superstars, Garrett repeatedly expressed his desire to build his legacy with one organization. He wasn’t just a dominant player. He became the face of the franchise.
And what a career he leaves behind.
A two-time Defensive Player of the Year, multiple-time First-Team All-Pro, perennial Pro Bowler and future first-ballot Hall of Famer, Garrett assembled one of the most decorated résumés ever produced by a pass rusher. Last season, he somehow elevated his game even further, setting an NFL record with 23 sacks while capturing his second DPOY trophy.
That type of player rarely becomes available.
Which is why Browns fans are struggling to process the move. It’s the football equivalent of owning the finest Wagyu steak in the world and receiving a McDonald’s McDouble in return.
Or at least that’s how it feels today.
The Browns, however, aren’t viewing this as a surrender. They’re betting that the return package, headlined by emerging superstar Jared Verse, can eventually justify moving one of the greatest defenders the game has ever seen.
Whether that gamble pays off will define Cleveland’s next decade.
Jared Verse: The Crown Jewel of the Deal
Be Well-Versed
- Jared Verse enters his age-25 season as one of the NFL’s rising stars.
- Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024.
- Two Pro Bowl selections in his first two seasons.
- First-Team All-Pro honors already on his résumé.
- Under contract through 2029, giving Cleveland a long-term building block.
When Browns fans first saw the details of the trade, one name immediately stood above the rest.
Jared Verse.
No, he’s not Myles Garrett. Few players in NFL history are.
But if you’re searching for a young defender capable of becoming the next face of a franchise, Verse might be near the top of that list.
The former Florida State standout entered the league carrying lofty expectations after being selected 19th overall by Los Angeles. What followed was an immediate impact that validated every bit of the pre-draft hype.
Verse captured Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2024, quickly establishing himself as one of football’s most disruptive edge defenders. Over the next two seasons, he continued his ascent, earning two Pro Bowl appearances and a First-Team All-Pro selection while becoming the centerpiece of a Rams defense loaded with young talent.
What makes Verse especially intriguing is that his best football may still be ahead of him.
Unlike Garrett, whose Hall of Fame résumé is already complete, Verse is only beginning to write his story. He combines elite power, explosive closing speed and relentless effort with the type of leadership qualities teams crave when constructing a championship-caliber roster.
For Cleveland, that’s the appeal.
The Browns aren’t simply acquiring a productive player. They’re acquiring years. Verse won’t turn 30 until the next decade, and his contract gives Cleveland control through the conclusion of the 2029 season.
That’s valuable.
Garrett represented certainty. Browns fans knew exactly what they were getting every Sunday.
Verse represents possibility.
And while possibility doesn’t always equal production, Cleveland is betting that one of the NFL’s brightest young stars can eventually develop into the next great defensive icon to wear orange and brown.
Verse vs. Garrett: Greatness vs. Potential
Quick Fix vs. Long-Term
- Myles Garrett is already a future first-ballot Hall of Famer.
- Jared Verse is 24 years old and still ascending.
- Garrett owns multiple Defensive Player of the Year awards.
- Verse already has a Defensive Rookie of the Year trophy and All-Pro honors.
- Cleveland is exchanging proven greatness for a chance at sustained greatness.
Every blockbuster trade eventually comes down to one question:
Who got the better player?
Today, that answer is easy.
The Rams did.
Myles Garrett is not merely one of the NFL’s elite defenders. He belongs in the conversation with some of the greatest pass rushers the game has ever seen. His résumé is stacked with All-Pro honors, Pro Bowls, Defensive Player of the Year awards and now an NFL single-season sack record after his historic 23-sack campaign in 2025.
Players like Garrett don’t become available often because players like Garrett rarely exist.
Yet that’s only part of the conversation.
The Browns aren’t trying to replace Garrett with another Garrett. That would be impossible.
They’re hoping Jared Verse becomes the best version of Jared Verse.
That’s where this trade becomes fascinating.
At nearly every stage of his young career, Verse has exceeded expectations. His blend of power, explosiveness and relentless motor has already placed him among the NFL’s upper tier of edge defenders. Most importantly, he’s producing at an age when many pass rushers are still learning the nuances of the position.
The contrast between the two players is striking.
Garrett is the finished masterpiece hanging in the museum.
Verse is the talented artist still painting.
One player offers certainty. The other offers possibility.
One has already built a Hall of Fame legacy.
The other is trying to build one.
For Cleveland, that’s the gamble. They willingly moved one of the greatest defenders in franchise history because they believe Verse can become one of the next great defenders in franchise history.
Whether Browns fans embrace that vision may take time.
After all, replacing an icon is never easy.
Even when the replacement has the talent to become one himself.
Smart money is on Verse beginning to outpace the soon to be 32 defensive end the Rams just received. In 2027, the Browns should begin to realize they’ve won the deal.
The First Two Seasons How Close Is Jared Verse to Myles Garrett?
Chasing Greatness
- Garrett recorded 20.5 sacks in his first two NFL seasons despite missing time as a rookie.
- Verse produced 12 sacks during his first two years in Los Angeles.
- Garrett earned his first Pro Bowl in Year 2.
- Verse already owns a Defensive Rookie of the Year award, two Pro Bowls and an All-Pro selection.
- Statistically, Verse’s first two seasons compare favorably with almost any young edge rusher in recent memory.
Comparing Jared Verse to the current version of Myles Garrett isn’t fair.
Comparing Verse to the young version of Garrett?
Now that’s a conversation worth having.
Garrett entered the NFL as the first overall pick in the 2017 Draft carrying enormous expectations. Injuries limited his rookie season to 11 games, but flashes of dominance were impossible to ignore. By the conclusion of Year 2, Garrett had accumulated 20.5 sacks and established himself as the centerpiece of Cleveland’s defense.
Most observers saw a future superstar.
They were right.
Verse’s opening act has been every bit as impressive.
The former Rams first-round selection wasted little time announcing his arrival, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and immediately becoming one of the NFL’s most disruptive defenders. Through two seasons, Verse has totaled 12 sacks while collecting two Pro Bowl invitations and First-Team All-Pro recognition.
That’s rare company.
In fact, when comparing the first two seasons side by side, Verse actually holds advantages in several key categories, particularly accolades and overall production.
Of course, careers aren’t measured after two years.
Garrett followed his strong start by becoming one of the defining defensive players of his generation. Offensive coordinators built entire game plans around slowing him down, and most failed.
That’s the challenge facing Verse now.
The first two years suggest he has the talent.
The next eight to ten seasons will determine whether he has the staying power.
For Browns fans searching for optimism, that’s perhaps the most encouraging aspect of this trade. Cleveland isn’t acquiring a prospect based solely on potential.
They’re acquiring a player whose first two NFL seasons already place him on a trajectory similar to the man he was traded for.
Will he ever be Myles Garrett probably not few with ever come close to that potential, but Verse can be elite and his trajectory is on the rise.
The Browns’ Future: Betting on the Next Decade
What the Future Holds
- Myles Garrett turns 31 before the end of the 2026 season.
- Jared Verse remains under team control through 2029.
- Cleveland gains valuable salary-cap flexibility moving forward.
- The Browns are attempting to extend their championship window rather than close it.
- The success of this trade may not be fully known for three to five years.
Browns fans know this feeling.
Every offseason arrives carrying the familiar phrase: “This is our year.”
It’s a belief rooted in hope, reinforced by loyalty and sustained by one of the most dedicated fan bases in professional sports.
That’s what makes the Myles Garrett trade so complicated.
No one questions what Garrett meant to the franchise. He was the face of the Browns, the heartbeat of the defense and one of the few constants during an era defined by change. Had he remained in Cleveland for the remainder of his career, his statue outside the stadium would have been little more than a formality.
Yet football has always been a forward-looking business.
Garrett will turn 31 before New Year’s Eve in 2026. While elite pass rushers can remain productive well into their thirties, history shows that Father Time eventually wins every battle. The Browns front office clearly decided that maximizing Garrett’s trade value today offered a better long-term path than waiting for the inevitable decline years.
Enter Jared Verse.
Instead of building around a legendary veteran entering the back half of his career, Cleveland now has an ascending cornerstone entering what should be his prime seasons. If Verse continues developing at his current pace, the Browns could possess an elite edge defender throughout the remainder of the decade.
That’s the vision.
It’s also the risk.
Because while Verse may become great, Garrett already is.
For now, Browns fans are left balancing emotion with logic. Saying goodbye to a franchise icon is painful. Betting on the future always requires faith.
The Rams are chasing a Super Bowl with a proven Hall of Famer.
Photo Credit Frank Hyatt/College2Pro.com
