The Cleveland Browns could still use help on the defensive line after trading away Myles Garrett, but one plugged-in insider does not see Joey Bosa as the answer.
Bosa, a five-time Pro Bowler with 77 career sacks, has been floated as a possible veteran option for a Browns team entering a new era up front. Cleveland has Jared Verse, Alex Wright, Isaiah McGuire, Julian Okwara and other young pieces it wants to evaluate, but Garrett’s departure left a massive leadership and production void.
Jason Lloyd of The Athletic pushed back hard on the idea of Cleveland using roster space or practice reps on Bosa at this stage.
“I don’t think it’s a fit,” Lloyd said on “The Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show.” “I don’t know why the Browns would waste reps on a guy who clearly isn’t part of their future. You have plenty of young guys you want to get a look at. And from Bosa’s perspective, why would you come here? If you go anywhere, wouldn’t you go to San Francisco and play with your brother?”
Bosa remains a recognizable name, but the Browns are not in a position where a short-term veteran addition changes the direction of the season. Cleveland is coming off a 5-12 campaign, has a quarterback competition still unresolved and is trying to reset its defensive identity without Garrett.
Browns Facing Harsh Reality With Veteran Free Agents
Lloyd also pointed to a larger issue for the Browns when it comes to chasing established veterans late in their careers.
“This is going to upset people, but veterans at the end of their careers come [to Cleveland] because they don’t have other options,” Lloyd said. “If you have other options, you will take them. With a team that has the record the Browns have had and the reputation the Browns have had, if you’re a veteran toward the end of your career, you’re playing for the Browns because they paid you the most money or were one of the only teams to show interest. It’s just the reality of where they’re at, but hopefully a year from now we’re having a different conversation about how appealing they are for a veteran to play for.”
The Browns are not simply one veteran pass-rusher away from fixing their roster. They are trying to build around young talent on both sides of the ball while sorting through a quarterback room headlined by Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders.
Adding Bosa would bring experience and name recognition, but it would also take snaps away from players Cleveland needs to develop who fit their timeline. Verse was the centerpiece of the Garrett trade, while Wright, McGuire and Okwara are all fighting for bigger roles in a defense that has to find pressure from more than one spot.
Jared Verse Can Set Tone for Browns Defense
GettyThe Browns are not asking Jared Verse to replace Myles Garrett.
Verse is just 25 years old but has two Pro Bowls and a Defensive Rookie of the Year honor on his resume. He has already made it clear he is not approaching his arrival as a direct replacement for Garrett. But there’s a reason the Browns required Verse to come back as part of the trade.
“My job is to be the best me,” Verse said. “I’m not trying to fill anybody’s shoes.”
Cleveland still has Denzel Ward as one of the defense’s established leaders. Ward gives the Browns a proven presence in the secondary, while Verse gives them a young edge rusher they can build around for the future.
Browns Get Reality Check on Adding DE Joey Bosa