Andrew Berry Says Jared Verse Changed Everything in Garrett Trade Talks

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry told reporters on Tuesday that he didn’t have a Myles Garrett trade press conference on his bingo card this spring.

But after trading the future Hall of Fame defensive end to the Los Angeles Rams in a blockbuster trade on Monday, Berry met with reporters in Berea on Tuesday to explain the logic behind trading Garrett away.

According to Berry, the Rams seriously started the pursuit of Garrett when the Browns moved the option bonus payment date from March to September about a month before the NFL Draft. Leading up to the draft, trade conversations intensified. After the Rams selected Alabama’s Ty Simpson as their heir apparent to Matthew Stafford, they were comfortable parting with the draft capital required to land Garrett.

Jared Verse was why the Browns entertained this trade

But Berry confessed that the Rams including pass rusher Jared Verse to go with the 2027 first round pick, 2028 second round pick and 2029 third round pick was what finally made the Browns decide to seriously entertain the trade.

“Getting a player like Jared Verse in the deal where the defense can maintain its excellence, that was attractive to us,” Berry said.

Berry explained that oftentimes in the NFL, when teams trade a superstar talent, it’s oftentimes mortgaging the present for the future. The Browns don’t believe that’s the case with the Garrett trade, as Verse fits the youthfulness of Cleveland’s roster.

The Browns weren’t in a position to select Verse in the 2024 NFL Draft, as they didn’t have a first-round pick for the final year of the Deshaun Watson trade compensation. Verse won AP Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024 and has been a Pro Bowler in both of his professional seasons in the NFL.

An ascending player on the rise is clearly what Berry targeted in a return package for Garrett. It’s why the Browns “only” received one first-round pick (and two more selections) from the Rams in the package. Verse is 25 and has two stellar seasons under his belt. He was the No. 19 overall pick in 2024 and has already turned into a top 15 pass rusher in the sport.

Berry refused to acknowledge whether or not the additional draft compensation will help the Browns find their quarterback of the future in 2027. Instead, he focused on the excitement that the front office and Todd Monken’s new coaching staff had for the present, with Verse entering the organization heading into his third professional season with the task of filling Garrett’s shoes.

It’s unfair to expect Verse to replace Garrett’s production, but Berry wouldn’t “put a cap” on the potential that the former Florida State pass rusher could unlock with the Browns. He’s scheduled to arrive in Cleveland in time for voluntary OTAs on Wednesday.

"He's an outstanding player at 25 years old at a very hard position to find," Berry said.

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