By Matthew Couden0ShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberSee more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.The Cleveland Browns' defense lost its cornerstone superstar, Myles Garrett, via trade with the Los Angeles Rams, shaking up the NFL this offseason as the NFC contender grew even more powerful.
In exchange, the Browns received picks and also talented defensive player Jared Verse, who is a two-time Pro Bowl selection and won the 2025 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Cleveland also features another defensive superstar, five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward, who joined the Browns one season after Garrett's arrival. Ward has racked up 18 interceptions during his Browns tenure, two of which were touchdowns, and 361 combined tackles for the defense.
Read More on NFLThe star corner hosted an inaugural celebrity softball game this weekend, where he spoke about his newest Browns teammate and shared his thoughts about his future in Cleveland.
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..."When the trade happened, I had reached out to Jared and just welcomed him to the city and told him if he ever needs anything, just let me know. Yeah, talked to him shortly and I'm meeting some of the new guys here now at the game, so that's gonna be fun," he told reporters on Saturday.
"Yeah, I definitely still want to be here," Ward said, adding, "Myles is a good friend of mine, a great teammate, but things aren't lost. It's Ohio against the world, so people can doubt us, but we're still gonna go out there and try to play our best ball."
Ward's newest teammate, Verse, was a first-round pick by the Rams in 2024 and recorded 12 sacks over his two seasons. He had 7.5 last season, while Garrett set a new NFL single-season sacks record with 23.
Last season, the Browns were fourth in the NFL in terms of yards allowed, giving up an average of only 283.6 yards per game to opponents. Garrett was among the leaders of that defense, along with Ward.
While Ward remains invested in playing for the Browns, they're still a team that is clearly building for the future. Aside from the blockbuster trade, which swapped defensive personnel, their quarterback situation remains a major concern. There's ongoing speculation about a battle between veteran DeShaun Watson and younger QB Shedeur Sanders for the starting job.
There's also speculation that this Browns team may not be anywhere near the postseason again and may be tanking for the No. 1 pick. Part of the Verse trade also included several future Rams picks, including their first-round pick in next year's NFL Draft.
With several first-round picks, it gives them a good shot at drafting a talented young quarterback to lead them into the future. Among the potential first-round QBs are Texas's Arch Manning, Oregon's Dante Moore, and Ohio State's Julian Sayin.
Ward and his teammates are probably going to have to suffer through another disappointing campaign or two before seeing some glimpses of a team capable of reaching the playoffs.
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