As the trade deadline approaches, should Browns listen to Jared Verse offers?

This time during the NFL season, two things are the most topical: Game results each weekend and the looming NFL trade deadline. The Cleveland Browns have gotten off to a great start with a 5-2-0 record. Could a trade help this roster, or perhaps the Browns should sit tight and ride with what brought

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What is the story about?

This time during the NFL season, two things are the most topical: Game results each weekend and the looming NFL trade deadline.

The Cleveland Browns have gotten off to a great start with a 5-2-0 record. Could a trade help this roster, or perhaps the Browns should sit tight and ride with what brought them.

RELATED: VERSE UNAFRAID TO TALK DESPITE ZERO SACKS

The NFL trade deadline is November 10. The league instituted a deadline for teams to prevent clubs from stacking rosters right before the playoffs

and keep competitive balance towards the end of the season.

This year’s trade deadline has generated a lot of interest in the defensive line. This market has already begun. The Indianapolis Colts traded DE DeForest Buckner back to the San Francisco 49ers. The Tennessee Titans traded star DL Jeffery Simmons to the Chicago Bears.

The Browns’ pass rush is not getting quick pressure from the defensive ends this year and hasn’t been the same since the team traded away All-World pass rusher Myles Garrett. In that trade, Cleveland received Jared Verse, who had gone to two Pro Bowls in two seasons, and was voted the “NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year” when he came into the league in 2024.

The idea was that Verse would fill in for Garrett, but not take his place.

In just seven games, the Browns have 20 sacks collectively. Verse has zero. This is a guy who had 7.5 last year and 4.5 as a rookie.

What exactly is wrong with Verse? Should the Browns coaching staff keep waiting for him to blow up the opposition during passing plays? Is there a scheme or fit issue?

Or maybe, should Cleveland make him available before the trade deadline?

Well-Versed

For months since the Garrett trade, all we have heard is that Verse wasn’t going to fill Garrett’s shoes, but was an exceptional athlete and would provide a very good pass rush.

While with the Los Angeles Rams, Verse had 58 tackles last year and 66 the year before. Ink noted that he was a good run stopper, along with his sack numbers and his ability to get into the backfield and hunt quarterbacks. 27 QB hits in 2025, along with 36 pressures. And that Verse is a much younger version of Garrett, being just 25 years old.

And yet, here are his stats for this year: Seven starts, 302 defensive snaps,17 total tackles (2.4 on average per game), 4 tackles for loss, 5 QB hits, 0 sacks, 0 forced fumbles, 0 fumble recoveries, 0 batted passes, 0 hurries, 4 knockdowns, 4 pressures, and 3 missed tackles.

Other than tackles, he isn’t averaging one of anything per game.

This year’s version of the Browns defense, coached by DC Mike Rutenberg, keeps receiving praise week after week. Just not the edge rush portion.

On the other side, the Browns lost DE Alex Wright for the year after he was placed on season–ending IR after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon during training camp. In his place came Isaiah McGuire, who isn’t a better pass rusher or run stopper, with Derek Barnett as his backup.

Verse just isn’t getting into the other team’s offensive backfield whatsoever. Plus, he is weak at staying home and offering containment. On occasion, Verse will do this unusual maneuver where he won’t go directly towards the quarterback, but will travel towards the center and then take a hard right. And it’s not like he is playing full games. Currently, his snap count is just 66% of all defensive reps.

His pressure rate has dropped significantly this year to just 6.6%, which ranks him #71 among all NFL EDGE rushers. Verse posted a 16.8% pressure rate during the 2025 season while playing for the Rams. His Pro Football Focus pass-rushing grade was 82.2, which ranked him #13. That has sunk to 59.9, which is #73 among 113 qualified EDGE defenders.

Needless to say, the Cleveland version of Verse is not the Los Angeles edition the Browns were anticipating. Nobody expected Verse to ball out for 20 sacks, but geez. What is going on?

Perhaps it surrounds the fact that Verse came from a 3-4 alignment while with the Rams and is now grouped in the 4-3. Sounds logical, right? This has led to offensive tackles neutralizing his power-first and bull-rush moves. And earlier in the season, because of his reputation, teams were double-teaming him. But that suddenly ceased as offensive coordinators realized it wasn’t necessary.

And while Verse has struggled, his backup, Sam Williams, has played pretty well in spite of getting just 36% of defensive snaps while playing part-time.

Williams has played in all seven games with zero starts, and has 20 total tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 3 QB hits, 0 forced fumbles, 0 fumble recoveries, 1 batted pass, 1 hurry, 2 knockdowns, 4 pressures, and 4 missed tackles.

Unthinkable decision?

The league has several pass rushers that are projected to be traded soon. The market for defensive linemen has already begun. The only other pass rushers rumored to be traded, at least as of now, before the November 10 deadline are Los Angeles Chargers EDGE rusher Khalil Mack and Josh Sweat of the Arizona Cardinals.

Should the Browns throw Verse’s name into the hat and see if anyone bites? Would the team jump at a strong offer?

Verse is one of those EDGE rushers who has had good to very good numbers every year on a consistent basis, but he isn’t going to blow the doors off. This year, his production is more often viewed as mediocre to poor.

Then there is the money issue. Verse is in the third year of a four-year $15.1 million deal, with all of it guaranteed. This year he has a cap hit of $2.2 million. Next year that increases to $2.9 million.

Next season, the Browns will need to make a decision on Verse’s fifth-year option. That is currently projected to be a fully guaranteed $27.9 million that would be paid in 2028. Verse qualifies for the largest tier as a multi-time Pro Bowler.

But there is a hitch: he isn’t playing at that high level. His production is way down. Yes, the Browns could stick it out and see if this is just a one-off, or perhaps he will wake up and produce in the second half of this season. Because Verse was a part of the Garrett trade, everyone has had high expectations for him. This year.

Cleveland has a timeline, and currently Verse is included in that plan. Some media folks have pointed out that his presence along the defensive line during passing downs has generated sacks and stats for other Browns defensive players. That rings true in a lot of games across the league. Often, a player will engage two offensive linemen so that another defender can loop around and get to the quarterback on a stunt.

For now, everyone is waiting for Verse to show why he was the necessary piece in the Garrett trade. Every team in the NFL is looking for an EDGE rusher.

The big question for Cleveland GM Andrew Berry: Which is better for the Browns this year and in following seasons? Have Jared Verse on the roster, or have whichever rookie player they select with whatever draft pick(s) they would receive in a trade?

What do you think: Should the Browns look to trade Verse if they get a good enough offer? Even selling low? What trade compensation would you expect to get in return for Verse?