Cleveland Browns still looking for help at defensive end

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. | Mike Cardew / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns will begin the post-Myles Garrett era this week when veterans report for training camp.

In place of the reigning Defensive Player of the Year will be Jared Verse, who, while not on the same level as Garrett, is no slouch, as he has posted 99 pressures since entering the league as a first-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Verse does not have to do it alone, of course, as the Browns are banking on Alex Wright and Isaiah McGuire to step up and be more than support players while Verse does all the heavy lifting.

Wright, for one, is not shying away from the challenge as he explained during Organized Team Activities in June :

“Somebody gotta take control, like somebody has to take charge. So, just trying to step into that role. It just don’t have to be me; it could be all of us. But I’m taking on that ownership; just because (Myles is) gone, that doesn’t mean the standard that he set since he’s been here, since he was a rookie, is going to change. We are all still going to work and be a top defense; we’re still going to just work our butts off.”

That is all very exciting, but general manager Andrew Berry did try to add another edge rusher as the club originally agreed to a deal with free agent A.J. Epenesa, only to see him fail the team’s physical and eventually sign with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Berry is reportedly still on the hunt, according to cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot :

The Browns are still in the market for a veteran defensive end to add to the rotation and make up for the loss of former Bills edge rusher A.J. Epenesa, who failed their physical before signing with the Eagles. Ideally, the Browns would like to have one in place before the start of camp, but they might have to wait a bit to find their man.

The problem is, the list of available players has some familiar names on it, but they are not necessarily all that exciting. Some of the options include:

Joey Bosa, who had five sacks, five forced fumbles, and 42 quarterback pressures last season with the Buffalo Bills. At this stage in his career, he is nothing more than a situational rusher, but that could fit what Cleveland is looking for.

Jadeveon Clowney, who was with the Browns in 2021 and 2022. Since then, Clowney has been one-and-done with the Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, and Dallas Cowboys. He was productive last season with the Cowboys in posting 8.5 sacks and 32 quarterback pressures, and could fit as a rotational pass rusher in Cleveland.

Haason Reddick, who has trended downward in each of the past two seasons after a four-year stretch that saw him average 12.5 sacks a season. He was with the New York Jets in 2024 along with new defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg (the Jets linebackers coach), so the familiarity could be a potential asset.

Kyle Van Noy, who spent the past three seasons in Baltimore, so he is familiar with the teams in the AFC North. His production fell off last season, but he is dependable, having played at least 13 games every season since 2017, which is always a nice bonus.

Those are just a few of the names that reside on the various lists of available free agents . How much interest the Browns would have in any of them is unknown, as is whether or not any of them would want to play in Cleveland in what could be another long season.

Berry could also be waiting to see how undrafted free agents Tyreak Sapp or Logan Fano look during the preseason before making a move. If one or both flash enough for the coaching staff, then perhaps Berry does not make a move for an aging player on a one-year deal.

But the Browns signaled earlier this summer that they are looking for another rotational player at defensive end, so even if one of these veterans is not an option, Berry may still have a move to make before the season opens on September 13 in Jacksonville.

What do you think, Browns fans? Are you content with the current group of defensive ends? Or do you want the Browns to bring in another option? Let us know in the comments.

Indexed and credited by AIPROPX. Originating outlet: Yahoo Sports. Open at source →