Browns' Verse: I'm not here to fill Garrett's shoe...
Key takeaways
- I'm here to work, and I'm here to be the best version of me.
- The 2029 pick will become a first-rounder if Garrett is traded to another team in the AFC North, a source told ESPN, confirming a report by Cleveland.com.
- By the time they left, Verse thought, "It's time to work."
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
I'm here to work, and I'm here to be the best version of me. And the best version of me is going to be the best defensive player in the league. And the best defensive player in the league is going to play for the best defense in the league."
The Browns on Monday traded Garrett, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and holder of the single-season sack record, to the Rams for a package that included Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a conditional 2029 third-round pick. The 2029 pick will become a first-rounder if Garrett is traded to another team in the AFC North, a source told ESPN, confirming a report by Cleveland.com.
Verse, who was selected No. 19 overall by the Rams in the 2024 draft, said the news of the trade caught him by surprise and he called it initially "upsetting." Former Rams teammates Byron Young and Braden Fiske went to Verse's house to speak to him as he unpacked his emotions. By the time they left, Verse thought, "It's time to work."