The Los Angeles Rams repor didn't want to include edge rusher Jared Verse in the Myles Garrett trade. They tried not to, offering a haul made up exclusively of draft capital. But the Browns wouldn't budge unless Verse figured into the deal. General manager Les Snead bit his lip and did what he had to do.
Another reported suitor, the Eagles, lost out on Garrett when they refused to package a young stud of their own, defensive tackle Jalen Carter.
By all accounts, Verse was a more impactful player last season. Both the Rams and the Eagles had a chance to land a generational star and future Hall of Famer in Garrett. Yet GM Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia front office reportedly clutched Carter close to the chest in trade talks.
Well, you know what they say. Scared money don't make money, and no one can accuse Snead of being stingy.
Rams came to play ball while Eagles went back to the dugout
Verse did not take the skyward leap many Rams fans hoped for in his sophomore season. Nonetheless, he was more than productive, racking up 7.5 sacks and grading out as Pro Football Focus' 11th-ranked edge defender out of 115 qualified players. Those aren't Garrett numbers, but they're solid. Verse also registered 80 total pressures, per PFF, good for fourth at the position.
Carter, on the other hand, took a significant step back. In 11 games, he came up with three sacks, five tackles for loss, and 41 pressures. His PFF grade of 60.0 ranked 58th out of 134. That's only one lackluster season, of course, marred by injury.
Still, as NBC's Mike Florio observes, the Eagles haven't yet extended Carter, which they had the chance to do a year ago. Instead, they exercised his $27 million fifth-year option, keeping the former No. 9 overall pick under contract through 2027.
Verse's team-friendly contract situation makes the Rams look even bolder for parting with such a valuable asset. Verse has two years left on his original rookie deal, and the Browns have until next May to pick up his own fifth-year option. He might be just as good as Carter (who won Defensive Rookie of the Year?), on a more flexible, less costly contract.
The Browns made clear that including Verse was the only way a deal would get done. The Rams obliged, signaling their all-in commitment to a Super Bowl.
The Eagles, the Super Bowl LXI champions, should also be title contenders again. They aren't acting like it. Scrooging for Carter with the reigning Defensive Player of the Year on the table may be a decision Roseman regrets before long.
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