The Browns are entering a new era as a football team.
Beginning with the hiring of Todd Monken as head coach in January, through the acquisition of DE Jared Verse in a blockbuster trade in June, the Browns experienced monumental changes during the 2026 offseason.
Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager said early in the offseason that the offensive side of the ball – and particularly the offensive line – would see numerous changes. And that's where it all started for the Browns. They overhauled their offensive line, beginning early in free agency with the acquisition of Tytus Howard the signings of Elgton Jenkins, Zion Johnson and re-signing Teven Jenkins. They drafted 10 players, with eight of the 10 joining different position groups on the offense.
Yet, their biggest offseason move did not address the offensive side of the ball.
On June 1, the Browns added a young, elite pass rusher to their defense, as they acquired Verse and three draft picks from the Rams in exchange for DE Myles Garrett. As Berry explained in his press conference following the trade, he did not anticipate trading Garrett this offseason. But with the inclusion of Verse in the latest offer from the Rams, Berry had to reevaluate the situation and the state of the team.
They made the difficult decision to move a foundational player in Garrett to bring in Verse, and with the trade, solidified this new era in Cleveland.
"Jared is an outstanding football player, former Defensive Rookie of the Year, two-time original ballot Pro Bowler," Berry said. "He's a perfect DNA match for our attacking front. He's really a terror in both phases, both as a run defender and a pass rusher, and we are really, really excited to add him to our team. He allows us to continue to play defense as a high level, which has been our standard over the past several seasons."
Early in the offseason, Berry noted how the Browns may have one of the youngest rosters in the NFL this upcoming season, due to anticipated activity in free agency and the draft, and the age of their defense. Their offseason moves continue to indicate they will be a young team in 2026 – capped off by the acquisition of Verse.
At 25 years old, Verse brings adds a younger player to the defensive line who fits into their roster's lifecycle, as both sides of the ball will feature numerous young players at different positions. As Verse enters his third season in the NFL, he joins a defensive line that features second-year DT Mason Graham on the interior. Their front seven also has the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year in Carson Schwesinger at linebacker. They drafted rookie S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren to join their secondary.
However, there are also key veterans on the defensive side to anchor the unit, such as DT Maliek Collins, DE Alex Wright, CB Denzel Ward and S Grant Delpit. They have new veteran faces in DT Kalia Davis and LB Quincy Williams That blend of veteran experience, young players and a few new faces creates an opportunity for players to thrive in the attack-style defense under defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg.
Yet, even with the trade for Verse and the new faces across the roster, Berry reiterated their goals as an organization remain unchanged. To Berry, a young roster does not mean a worse team.
And that point rings true with the addition of Verse to the defense. In 2025, Verse recorded 80 pressures and 52 hurries, both ranked sixth among edge defenders according to PFF. Verse also totaled 7.5 sacks in 2025 alone, and 12 total in his first two seasons in the league.
"All of our goals are still in front of us," Berry said on June 2. "We have an excellent defense with really good players on all three levels. And Jared, he's an outstanding (player), he's one of the best players in the game and so we're excited to have him as a part of our team."
There are still numerous questions to be answered about what this team will exactly look like, ones that will develop when they take the field for the beginning of the 2026 season. For now, as Verse settles into his new team and learns the defense, and the Browns hold veteran minicamp next week, the early stages of this new era are underway.
