You’re not gonna believe what just dropped. Browns cornerback Denzel Ward came out and said that Jared Verse, yes, the guy who’s got zero sacks in his first four games with the Browns, is a more “vocal leader” than Myles Garrett. Seriously. The Rams pushed all their chips in for Garrett, and while everyone was talking about the draft picks they sent to Cleveland, it turns out the real cost might have been giving up Verse, at least according to Ward.
Ward Drops a Bomb on Leadership
When Ward hit up the PFF NFL Show, he didn’t hold back. He said Verse “definitely brought a lot of juice and just mentality, as well” to the team. And then came the real shocker: “Myles is a heck of a player, great player, but I think Jared, he’s more vocal, more of a vocal player, vocal leader out there for us.” Ward’s talking about Verse since day one, “just yelling, screaming and making his mark out there in meetings and on the practice field, kind of rallying guys.” That’s high praise for a guy they picked up after letting Garrett walk, especially when you’re talking about comparing him to a “heck of a player” like Garrett.
The Sack Attack: Where Is It, Verse?
Here’s where it gets wild, though: All that vocal leadership and juice? It hasn’t translated to the stats sheet. Verse is sitting at a big fat zero sacks through his first four games with the Browns. Let’s put that in perspective: the dude has 12 sacks in 38 *career* games. Myles Garrett? He piled up 15 sacks in his first 10 games *last season alone*. That’s not a small difference, right? Browns defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg is out here trying to frame it differently, saying defense isn’t about “ooh” and “wow” plays, but “violence, chaos, disruption, and getting the ball.” He talks about Verse “hunting on defense” and disrupting quarterbacks, even shouting out a play from the Tampa Bay game where Verse “chased it down from the backside.” Yeah, disruption is cool, but for an edge rusher, you gotta finish. And Verse just isn’t. Next Gen Stats backs it up, showing Verse has the second-lowest rate in the NFL at converting pressures to sacks since 2024, clocking in at a dismal 7.9%. He’s got nine pressures this season with zero sacks. You want more? DMAC Football Analytics says Verse has only a 12% pressure rate on true pass sets. He had 20 pass rush snaps against the Steelers in Week 4 and generated zero pressures. Zero for sixteen against the Jaguars in Week 1. So, while Ward might love the vocal leadership, teams pay big money for sacks, not just good vibes.
The Browns need Verse to start turning those pressures into actual quarterback takedowns, or all the “yelling and screaming” in the world won’t make a difference when it comes to winning games. Let’s see if he can find that finishing touch in the next few weeks.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Turf Show Times.
Leave a Reply