Dawgs By Nature
As Barry Shuck noted in DE Jared Verse’s profile, the new Cleveland Browns defender will be forever compared to former Browns superstar Myles Garrett. In so many ways, that comparison is unfair to Verse, as Garrett was considered and became a generational player whose value in the trade was Verse and three NFL draft picks, one with a unique clause.
While Verse may not be considered a generational player, he was a first-round pick, the Defensive Player of the Year in 2024, and is a two-time Pro Bowler. As GM Andrew Berry noted, Verse was not a replacement Pro Bowler but an initial roster one; he has been that good in his first two seasons.
Speaking to the media after his first practice in Berea, Verse talked about comparisons to Garrett a few times, including a slightly funny comment on shoe size (emphasized in bold):
“Yeah, I mean, you know, I’m not here to fill anyone’s shoes. Myles, he’s a size 13, Nikes, whatever they are. I’m a size, 13 and a half, size 14, Jordans. Like, everybody’s different. I’m not here to fill his shoes. I’m here to bring my own. I’m here to work, and I’m here to be the best version of me. The best version of me is going to be the best defensive player in the league, and the best defensive player of the league is going to play for the best defense in the league. And that’s what I make myself a testament to.”
Verse made it clear that he believes in himself and his abilities:
“Yeah, Myles is a great player. I watch his film every day. I’ve keyed in on a couple things he does, the moves he makes, the technicalities of every small aspect of his game. I very much studied him and to know that you know, I’m not here to fill his shoes. That’s not my job. That’s not in my description in any organization I go to, that’s not my job. My job is to be the best me. If I’m the best me, I’m not going to be Myles Garrett. I’m not going to be Maxx Crosby, this guy, that guy – the best players in the league. I’m going to be the best Jared, and that’s going to be the best player in the league.”
Verse also had a lot of positives to say about his first day with the Browns, with a quick belief that the coaching staff has things going in the right direction:
“Yeah, I mean, you can tell how a team is by how they practice. You see losing teams practice terribly. You see great teams practice, amazingly, it translates. That’s not a losing team out there. The way everybody was moving, I didn’t get to get into the team situations today. That’s going to be another day. But the way the boys are moving, this isn’t a losing team. Nobody’s moving around like, they’re slow like, they’re feeling...
