The Cleveland Browns on Tuesday ended their practice early after head coach Todd Monken was not pleased with over-aggressiveness from the defense. Monken was, according to observers, “steamed,” and took out some of his frustration on the defensive coaches. The Browns were not in full pads, and defenders were meant to pull up before hitting anyone–when that did not happen a few times, Monken stopped the proceedings. No doubt, new pass rusher Jared Verse was, on some level, pleased.
Verse remains a controversial figure for Browns fans who are angry about the Myles Garrett trade. Verse was, essentially, the 25-year-old piece brought in to replace Garrett on the edge. (The Browns also added a 2027 first-round draft pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 third-round pick) Those who have accepted the Garrett trade are ready to see what Verse can do. Those who haven’t still see him as something of a usurper of Garrett’s throne.
Either way, Verse does not seem to care. He is putting his imprint all over this Browns team.
Jared Verse Bringing Tough Style to Browns Practice
Verse is loud on the practice field and aggressive in his play style. Speaking with Browns reporters this week, he did not apologize for that, and he wants his teammates to be loud and aggressive, too.
Said Verse: “When you see the way I attack the game, I am very physical, very violent, very wild. Expressive is a very good word for it. You see everybody else’s personality starts to mash up—when you mix with a lot of different people, you can’t show your full personality no the field. I have no problem with that. If you see someone like me out there yelling and screaming, you have no problem showing your true character.”
Jared Verse vs. Spencer Fano Fight a Camp Highlight
All of this was quite obvious in the Browns’ practice back on August 8, when Verse was going at rookie left tackle Spencer Fano relentlessly, and the battle between the two eventually devolved into a fight that was caught on video.
Again, Verse made no apologies.
As he said of his Fano fight: “I don’t think it is going over the edge at all, I think fighting is necessary when it comes to football. You have to have that edge. I talk crazy, I play disrespectful when it comes to the way I compete, especially with the way I try to drive my teammates to another level. I wouldn’t expect them anything less than to retaliate because that is the type of player he is.”
Browns Will Need Cool-Headed Leadership, Too
What is going to be important for the Browns is to establish a rough-and-tumble style of player in practice without taking it too far and creating divisions in the locker room. That’s a trickier line,, and the Browns will need veterans like Denzel Ward and Grant Delpit to help their young teammates walk it.
Verse, for his part, said that after the fight with Fano, the two have worked well together and have helped fuel improvement.
“He is a very magnificent player,” Verse said. “Going against him, he has gotten so much better these past couple of weeks. The time we have been together, he has gotten so much better because he is getting to the point where I am starting to learn things from him, I am starting to learn about my tendencies and what he is picking up on. So, it’s making me a better player.”
Browns’ New Star Gets Blunt on ‘Violent’ Style After Practice Fight