Olivier Vernon is content to be the other guy the Browns got from the Giants in trade this offseason. But even if he was the only one, it would have been a big deal.
Lost in all the attention paid to Odell Beckham Jr., the Browns acquired an impact pass-rusher to pair with Myles Garrett in the trade with the Giants this offseason. But Vernon was able to flip the hood up on his sweatshirt and pass through the OTA crowd without nearly as much notice.
“Anyways, we signed some defensive guys that can play some football. We really did,” Browns coach Freddie Kitchens said, via Doug Lesmerises of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “Hopefully, you guys in the fall start talking about them a little bit.”
If Vernon plays the way he has in 4-3 defenses in the past, that conversation should be natural. He still had seven sacks last year in the Giants’ 3-4, but thinks he fits in well here, and will help lift a defense with good young players.
“They know what I bring to the table,” Vernon said. “They say you’re going to get what you paid for, so they’re going to get what you traded for. . . .
“You feel it from the coaches, you feel it from the front office. [General Manager John] Dorsey, he’s got a plan. I spoke to him a few times, and I just like what I heard from him as far as his vision. It’s been a lot of rough years for the Browns. It can only last so long. All we’ve got to do right now, we’ve got the plan set up, we’ve just got to execute it.”
While adding Vernon and Sheldon Richardson and Morgan Burnett won’t be as popular as their offense additions, it should help solidify that side of the ball.
