Tag: Cleveland

Cleveland Browns Jared Verse (8) runs a drill as teammates defensive end Julian Okwara, Khordae Sydnor, Alex Wright and Adin Huntington look on during team OTAs at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus of the Cleveland Browns in Berea, Ohio on June 2, 2026.

Browns’ Jared Verse focused on ‘best version of me,’ not replacing Myles Garrett

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Jared Verse admitted Wednesday that he initially found the blockbuster trade that sent him from the Los Angeles Rams to the Cleveland Browns on Monday “upsetting,” but after speaking to a pair of former teammates, the Pro Bowl edge rusher felt it was “time to work.”

Verse, 25, the 2024 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowler in each of his first two seasons, was acquired in exchange for superstar edge rusher Myles Garrett, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and reigning single-season sack holder.

The Browns also acquired a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a conditional 2029 third-round pick. If Garrett is dealt to another AFC North team, the 2029 pick will become a first-round pick, per an ESPN report.

“I’m not here to fill (Garrett’s) shoes,” Verse said after his first practice with the Browns. “I’m here to bring my own. … I’m here to work, and I’m here to be the best version of me. And the best version of me is going to be the best defensive player in the league. And the best defensive player in the league is going to play for the best defense in the league.”

What also helped Verse come to grips with the trade was how Cleveland made it clear that he had to be included in the deal.

“They’re not going to get a half-finished product or something you got to work on,” said Verse, who was the No. 19 overall pick of the Rams in the 2024 NFL Draft. “This is going to be the best version of me. Everything I’ve done this offseason, it’s going to be great.”

Verse was on the practice field on Wednesday afternoon in his No. 8 jersey, having arrived late Tuesday afternoon. The native of Dayton, Ohio, only took part in individual drills, but drew high praise from new Browns coach Todd Monken.

“He’s going to fit us like a glove,” Monken said. “… Just be yourself. There’s only one of you. Myles is already taken. And he’s an elite football player. We all know that. Jared, just be you. I see his track ascending. I see a world of upside by the way he’s wired. We’re jacked to have him.”

Verse, who posted 12 sacks, 71 tackles and five forced fumbles over 34 games (22 starts) with the Rams, is under contract for at least the next two seasons. He has a $4.1 million cap hit this year and is eligible for a fifth-year option in 2028.

–Field Level Media

Coach Todd Monken talks to the press at the Browns OTA camp in Berea on May 20, 2026.

Browns coach Todd Monken: Drafting QB Brendan Sorsby is ‘slippery slope’

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First-year head coach Todd Monken anticipates there could be peril on the periphery if the Cleveland Browns select Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby in a potential NFL supplemental draft should he lose college eligibility because of gambling.

Monken, stressing that he was speaking for himself and not the Browns organization, called the decision a “slippery slope” given Sorsby’s situation regardless of his proven talent and skill level.

“I don’t think we’re in a position to want to go down that road,” Monken said at the Browns Foundation Golf Tournament. “That’s my opinion. That’s not (general manager Andrew Berry’s).

“I like the quarterbacks that we have. I think that’s a slippery slope when you go down that, irrespective of talent, right?” Monken continued. “In terms of the situation he’s (put) himself in, we all know what that is. He put himself in that situation. And we’ve seen in other sports with players that have been banned for life from playing in professional sports.

“But from my end of it, kind of a tough angle to go down that road and think that’s going to be your franchise quarterback if he’s ever eligible to even play in the NFL.”

Sorsby transferred to Texas Tech from Cincinnati this offseason and was the Red Raiders’ projected starter for 2026. ESPN ranked Sorsby the No. 1 overall transfer in this year’s class.

But Sorsby has been fighting for his college eligibility after revelations of rampant betting led the NCAA to revoke his eligibility in April and deny his request for reinstatement in May. The NCAA prohibits athletes and employees from wagering on NCAA events in which a championship is held, which includes football.

Sorsby is seeking an injunction against the NCAA to play in 2026, but should that fail, an option could be to enter the NFL’s supplemental draft.

The Browns’ Berry was asked on Tuesday about Sorsby and was not as absolute in his answer as Monken was.

“No different than we do every year,” Berry said. “We’ll do the work on all the prospects, and then we’ll make the appropriate decision for the organization.”

The Browns’ quarterback depth chart includes veteran Deshaun Watson and second-year players Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel as well as 2026 sixth-round draft pick Taylen Green.

A judge in Lubbock County, Texas, did not make a ruling on Sorby’s request for a temporary injunction after a hearing Monday. Judge Ken Curry requested additional documentation be provided before he renders his verdict, which could happen in the upcoming days, according to ESPN.

Sorsby’s attorney, Jeffrey Kessler, requested a decision be made by June 15 to allow Sorsby a window to determine whether to apply for the NFL supplement draft, which carries a June 22 deadline.

Curry heard arguments from Sorsby’s team and the NCAA as to why Sorsby should be allowed to return to the field after allegedly making thousands of impermissible bets on college and pro sports — including his own team while at Indiana.

Sorsby placed at least 40 bets on Indiana football as a redshirt freshman with the Hoosiers, court documents revealed.

Those ranged from $1 to $114 and totaled at least $850 in September and October of 2022, while he was redshirting. Sorsby said in a letter to the NCAA that he never bet in a game he played in, nor ever bet against his team.

The quarterback wagered about $90,000 over a four-year period using sportsbook accounts registered to a family member and friends, with 2,900 bets totaling more than $30,000 coming from June 2022 to December 2023 alone. Last week, Sorsby revealed that he completed a 35-day, in-patient rehab stay in Arizona to treat “a diagnosed gambling addiction and anxiety disorder.”

NCAA attorney Taylor Askew said on Monday that if an injunction is granted, the collegiate governing body would in effect become the first sports league in the U.S. that could not punish its athletes from betting on its own contests.

The NFL supplemental draft was last held in 2019. Created in 1977, it was launched to give players with “sudden eligibility changes” a ladder from college to the NFL. However, the league would likely closely review the investigation into Sorsby’s off-field activity before determining whether to hold the special draft in July.

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills defensive end AJ Epenesa (57) warms up prior to the game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Report: Browns decide against signing DE A.J. Epenesa

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The Cleveland Browns are not signing free agent defensive end A.J. Epenesa after concerns following his physical, ESPN reported on Sunday night.

The Browns were reported on March 18, per ESPN, to have agreed to sign the six-year veteran to a one-year contract worth up to $5 million. Epenesa, 27, who had spent his entire career with the Buffalo Bills, was at the Browns’ facility last Monday, per the NFL transactions wire.

Epenesa played in 16 regular-season games (two starts) for the Bills in 2025 and totaled 32 tackles, 2.5 sacks, nine quarterback hits, two interceptions and one fumble recovery. He added two tackles in two playoff games.

Buffalo selected Epenesa in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Iowa.

Epenesa played out the final year of his four-year rookie contract, reportedly valued at $5,866,299 with a $1,834,399 signing bonus. He became an unrestricted free agent but returned to Buffalo on a two-year, $12 million contract.

For his career, Epenesa had 135 tackles, 24 sacks, 29 tackles for loss, 53 QB hits, four interceptions, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and 21 passes defended in 91 regular-season games (19 starts). He also has 17 tackles in 14 playoff games (three starts).

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford (34) warms up before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Report: Commanders sign RB Jerome Ford to 1-year deal

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Free-agent running back Jerome Ford agreed to a one-year deal with the Washington Commanders, NFL Network reported Saturday.

Ford leaves the Cleveland Browns after four seasons with the team that picked him in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Last offseason, he agreed to reduce his 2025 salary by half — from $3.49 million to a guaranteed $1.75 million — to remain in Cleveland.

Ford, 26, was placed on injured reserve on Dec. 9 after not playing more than 17 snaps in a game since Week 6 when he was slowed by a hamstring injury. In 13 games (no starts) in the 2025 season, he had 73 yards rushing on 24 carries and 26 receptions for 103 yards.

His best season with the Browns came in 2023, when he gained 1,132 yards from scrimmage and scored nine touchdowns.

In his career, Ford has 1,463 rushing yards, 647 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in 57 games (18 starts).

–Field Level Media

Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Jack Conklin (78) watches from the sideline during practice at NFL minicamp, Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. [Jeff Lange/Beacon Journal]

Browns release OT Jack Conklin, re-sign P Corey Bojorquez

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The Cleveland Browns on Thursday released offensive tackle Jack Conklin, an All-Pro in 2016 and 2020 who frequently was sidelined by injuries the past three seasons.

The Browns also re-signed punter Corey Bojorquez, who led the NFL in punts and punting yards last season.

Conklin, 31, started all 114 regular-season games and seven playoff games in which he played in the league, but played in only eight last season, missing the last two due to a pair of concussions.

He missed 44 of a possible 101 games since signing with Cleveland to a one-year contract as a free agent in 2020. He signed a four-year, $60 million extension in December 2020 that was revised last offseason to expire after the 2025 campaign.

Conklin was voted first-team All-Pro in 2016, when he also made the NFL All-Rookie team, as well as in 2020.

Tennessee selected Conklin with the eighth overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Michigan State. He started all 57 games that he played with the Titans before signing with the Browns.

Bojorquez, 29, led the NFL last season with 91 punts and 4,165 yards, resulting in a 45.8-yard average. He also topped the league in 2024 with 89 punts, 4,387 yards and a long of 84 yards.

He owns the Browns’ single-season records for punt average (49.4 yards), net punt average (42.5), both in 2023, as well as punts inside the 20-yard line (36 in 2024).

Bojorquez has punted 546 times in his career for 25,695 yards, a 47.1 yard average and 205 punts inside the 20-yard line in 124 games for the Buffalo Bills (2018-20), Green Bay Packers (2021) and Browns.

–Field Level Media

Nov 23, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson watches on the sidelines against the Las Vegas Raiders in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Reports: Browns restructure Deshaun Watson contract

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The Cleveland Browns are restructuring the contract of quarterback Deshaun Watson to open up cap space, according to multiple reports Friday.

This marks the fourth straight offseason the Browns have restructured Watson’s contract, which drops his cap hit for the 2026 season from $80.7 million to about $45 million and frees up nearly $36 million in cap space.

Watson’s original deal with the Browns, signed after being traded from the Houston Texans ahead of the 2022 season, was a five-year deal worth a fully guaranteed $230 million. He will be an unrestricted free agent after this season.

Watson has played in just 19 games and thrown 19 TD passes for the Browns due to suspensions and injuries. His record is 9-10.

He was suspended 11 games in 2022 for off-field conduct related to sexual misconduct allegations involving more than 20 massage therapists. His 2023 season was cut short by left shoulder surgery and the 2024 season ended abruptly for Watson in Week 7 because of a ruptured Achilles, missing the final 10 games.

The 30-year-old missed all of last season recovering from two Achilles surgeries but is expected to compete with Shedeur Sanders for the starting QB position. The Browns also have Dillon Gabriel on the roster at the position.

–Field Level Media

Dec 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns safety Ronnie Hickman (33) is introduced prior to a game against the Buffalo Bills at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Browns S Ronnie Hickman assaulted in New York hotel

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Cleveland Browns safety Ronnie Hickman was assaulted early Monday morning at a New York hotel then was treated for minor injuries at an area hospital before being released, the team said in a statement.

Hickman, 24, was approached by four people in the lobby of SIXTY LES hotel after 4:30 a.m. ET, the New York Post reported. Per the report, the suspects punched Hickman before leaving the hotel.

The Browns added that Hickman is “home resting with his family.”

Signed in 2023 as an undrafted free agent out of Ohio State, Hickman is coming off his best season, posting career highs in tackles (103), interceptions (2) and pass deflections (7) while starting all 17 games. He is an impending restricted free agent.

In 41 games (26 starts) over three seasons with the Browns, Hickman has 173 tackles, three interceptions (including one for a touchdown) and 11 pass deflections.

–Field Level Media

Reports: Browns to interview Mike McDaniel for HC job

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Fired as head coach of the Miami Dolphins on Thursday, Mike McDaniel will interview for the same position with the Cleveland Browns on Monday, multiple media outlets reported on Sunday.

McDaniel, 42, went 7-10 this season and posted a 35-33 record over four seasons, which included a pair of postseason appearances in his first two years with Miami. He signed a three-year contract extension in August 2024.

McDaniel — the Browns’ wide receivers coach in 2014 — will be Cleveland’s lone head coach interview on Monday and the sixth overall. Two-time Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski was dismissed last Monday after posting a 45-56 record over six seasons and leading the Browns to the playoffs twice.

The Browns have interviewed their offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, along with Baltimore Ravens OC Todd Monken, Seattle Seahawks DC Aden Durde and Cincinnati Bengals OC Dan Pitcher.

They’ve also reportedly requested an interview with Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhause.

–Field Level Media

Sep 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks (13) breaks a tackle by Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger (49) during the third quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Report: Browns LB Carson Schwesinger has high ankle sprain

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Testing confirmed a high ankle sprain for Cleveland Browns rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger, ESPN reported Monday.

Schwesinger, who leads Cleveland with 64 tackles, was injured during Sunday’s setback at New England and could be sidelined for four or more weeks. He was wearing a boot on his right leg after the game.

Coach Kevin Stefanski said rookie running back Quinshon Judkins is day-to-day with a shoulder injury (AC joint sprain) that also forced him to leave the game early.

Judkins, who turns 22 on Wednesday, has rushed for 486 yards and five touchdowns and added 12 catches for 60 yards in seven games (all starts) this season. He had nine carries for 19 yards on Sunday.

Schwesinger, 22, recorded his first career interception and five tackles in the 32-13 loss to the Patriots. The injury occurred midway through the fourth quarter when teammate Isaiah McGuire appeared to roll into his leg.

Schwesinger has started all eight games for the Browns (2-6), adding one sack, three QB hits and four tackles for loss.

Schwesinger (33rd) and Judkins (36th) were both drafted in the second round this year.

The Browns have a bye this week.

–Field Level Media

Nov 21, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; A grounds crew member shovels snow off the yard lines during the third quarter between the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Huntington Bank Field Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Typhoon conditions in Cleveland? Wild forecast for matchup of 1-5 teams

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Potential for challenging weather conditions on Sunday during the Browns-Dolphins matchup are increasing, with forecast models indicating sustained 25 mph winds and torrential downpours for the matchup of 1-5 teams on Sunday afternoon.

Wind gusts could reach 50 mph during the game and thunderstorms are possible according to AccuWeather.

Temperatures and humidity are likely to drop before sunrise and settle in the low 60s by the 1 p.m. ET kickoff. Heavy rain is expected starting at 4 a.m.

Weather Underground projects the rain chances at 90% on Sunday.

Will either offense show up?

Points have been a challenge for Cleveland. The Browns have eight total touchdowns in six games and 34 of the team’s 82 total points this season are courtesy of kicker Austin Szmyt.

Even after kicking a 53-yard field goal and making all three of his attempts on dicey footing at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh last week, the Browns are planning for the possibility of things being worse this week.

“I don’t know if you can do anything to truly recreate that type of situation,” said Bubba Ventrone, Browns associate head coach and special teams coordinator. “We work wet ball stuff with our operation. I know we’ll do that here later this week with our offense and defensive players. And then, honestly, I think that you prepare your team through these, I would say weather situations that can happen by practicing outside, practicing in the elements, practicing in the wind, the rain, the snow, all that stuff. Because ultimately you’re going to play in it at some point. So I think all the training that you’re doing in off season program training camp and have the opportunity to practice in those elements help you in those.”

Passing could be difficult for both teams with undersized touch passers Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins) and Browns rookie Dillon Gabriel. Both teams rank in the bottom five in the NFL in rushing. Miami is No. 27, one spot ahead of the Browns, who average 90.7 rushing yards per game and rank 31st (next-to-last) in net yards per pass play with a 4.3-yard average. The Browns are also No. 31 in yards per play at 4.1.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said his charges are still wary of the Dolphins’ passing game because of Tagovailoa’s penchant for a quick trigger. NFL Next Gen Stats put Tagovailoa’s release time at 2.7 seconds from snap to release.

“It’s a really nice marriage of the scheme and his skill set, with how quickly he gets the ball out, how accurate he is when he gets the ball out,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “I think he sees it really clearly. He can get the ball to all areas of the field and get the ball in the hands of the playmakers.”

But if Sunday’s weather forecast holds water and the field becomes soggy with gusty winds, Cleveland might get the edge from its defense.

The Browns are No. 3 in the NFL allowing 262.3 yards per game and 79.7 rushing yards per game. They lead the NFL in limiting opponents to 3.08 yards per carry this season.

–Field Level Media