CLEVELAND, OHIO (TheOBR.com) - Good morning, Cleveland Browns fans!
I got an email yesterday from someone I've corresponded with many times before and who did a spot of writing for the OBR back in the day.
He gave me an interesting analytics project, which would have been perfect for someone less lazy. Namely, it would be to extrapolate Myles Garrett's stats in obvious passing situations and apply those to how often the high-flying Rams put their opponents into passing situations. For teams with powerful offenses, this happens a lot more frequently than it did for the 2025 Cleveland Browns, whose lackluster offense will eventually be the stuff of legends. Scylla, Charybdis, Cyclops, Dillon Gabriel throwing short, Joe Flacco smiling when he got a chance to throw to Ja'Marr Chase.
Suffice it to say, the assumption is that Myles did pretty darn well when it was obvious the opposition would need to pass, as rare as those situations were, and the assumption is he'll be in that position far more often with a powerful offense putting up multi-score leads.
Unfortunately, Pro Football Talk beat me to the point on this, meaning, tragically, I couldn't spend all morning foraging for statistics. Darn.
The point I'm making here is that Browns fans should brace themselves for Myles Garrett doing even more amazing things in 2026, in one of America's media capitals, on your sports feed. Over and over and over. Get ready.
And it's okay. Wish Myles the best.
What will help ease the pain is that you're going to really like Jared Verse this season, and you're REALLY going to like those extra draft picks when it comes time to use them.
After his first Browns practice on Wednesday, Verse did not pretend the trade was all sunshine, fireworks, and a tiny elf handing him a lakefront condo. He told reporters the move from Los Angeles "caught me by surprise," and that it was "upsetting" at first. That's human. He was a Defensive Rookie of the Year, a two-time Pro Bowler, living in L.A., working in a good defense, and probably not spending much time pondering the early August humidity in Berea.
Jared Verse
Jared Verse at yesterday's OTA session (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
But then the Browns made clear how much they wanted him. And that mattered. Todd Monken was not exactly subtle about how the Browns see Verse.
"He's going to fit us like a glove," Monken said Wednesday, via the OBR's Fred Greetham. "Just be yourself. There's only one of you. Myles is already taken. And he's an elite football player. We all know that. Jared, just be you. I see his track ascending. I see a world of upside by the way he's wired. We're jacked to have him."
That's the line that should matter most this morning.
Because there are two ways this could have gone sideways quickly. Verse could have arrived sounding bitter, like a guy still unpacking L.A. in his head. Or the Browns could have made the mistake of publicly framing him as a Garrett replacement, which would be unfair, dumb, and extremely Browns-in-the-bad-way.
Instead, the first day sounded pretty healthy. Verse acknowledged the shock, said the right things, got into his No. 8 jersey, and participated in individual drills. The Browns, meanwhile, seem to be emphasizing fit over ghosts.
That matters because Verse's game is not some lottery ticket taped to the bottom of a draft board. He was the No. 19 overall pick in 2024. He has already been productive enough to be the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year. He plays with the sort of violence and urgency that gets defensive coaches speaking in short, excited bursts. And now he joins a front that can still make opponents miserable if the offense can merely stop leaving the defense to live in a burning building.
Just stack days. Bend the edge.
Myles Garrett may have a monster season in Los Angeles. He probably will. Browns fans can acknowledge that without turning every Verse snap into a referendum on the franchise's pain tolerance.
The Browns didn't just get draft picks back. They got a young, ascending, already-decorated edge rusher who wanted the shock to become fuel. On day one, at least, that looked like something worth leaning into.
Have a good one! GO BROWNS!
THE DAILY BLOVIATION SOURCE LINKS
- Browns' Jared Verse: I'm not here to fill Myles Garrett's shoes
- Jared Verse: Trade was upsetting at first, but happy that the Browns believe in me
- Myles Garrett looks forward to rushing the QB on obvious passing downs
- Browns Todd Monken on Jared Verse: "He's going to fit us like a glove"; WATCH VIDEO of Verse's First OTA
Newswire Bloviation Archive
OBR GOODIES
OBR VIDEO
- Inside the Browns Beat
OBR ARTICLES
- How Much Cash Can The Cleveland Browns Spend In 2026 & 2027
- Browns Todd Monken on Jared Verse: "He's going to fit us like a glove"; WATCH VIDEO of Verse's First OTA
- Are the Cleveland Browns Better Off as a Team for the 2026 Season Now After the Trade of Myles Garrett?
- Cleveland Browns News and Rumors June 3, 2026: Andrew Berry's Quarterback Dodge
FROM THE FORUMS
ASK THE INSIDERS (VIP)
- F/U on Jack's FA CBs Article
- KC contract?
- training camp vs pre-sea. games?
- A Ward trade would look like?
- Joey Bosa
- Cap Space
- Young core and Jimmy World '29
RUMOR CENTRAL (VIP)
- VIDEO: Pete Smith Discusses Jared Verse and the Day at OTAs
- Jared Verse's First Browns Practice
- 6/3 OTA Notes
INSIDER DISCUSSION (VIP)
- Cleveland Browns News and Rumors June 3, 2026: Andrew Berry's Quarterback Dodge
THE WATERCOOLER
- Parsons asking to be traded
- OT: NBA Finals
- Did I hear something that there was a Schwartz interview today?
- OT: E-Bay car sales
- OT: Baseball Cards
- LiveWire Thread for 6/3 - Twitter, Video, Articles
- Off the Leash: WOIO Ch 19 and The OBR Podcast on Trading Myles
THE LIFT
Positive news from the world of sports and beyond...
I couldn't find a good article this morning - no dogs saving young children or kittens up a tree being rescued. Instead, I'm faced with an open calendar, a puppy curled up like a bagel on the bed she pulled up next to my chair so she can be near me, and the ability to listen to the first Boards of Canada album in 13 years while I pretend to work.
Some days just dawn brightly, without the need for a dollop of good news of the outside world to cheer you up. I hope yours looks as promising.
WRAPPING UP
When not trying to decide whether optimism is a pla, Barry McBride is the Publisher and Founder of the OBR and bloviates this nonsense every morning. You can follow him on Twitter @barrymcbride or write him at barry@theobr.com if you are so compelled.
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