BEREA, Ohio -- Olivier Vernon is here to vouch for Odell Beckham, complement Myles Garrett, and, by the way, potentially transform the Browns’ defense.

It’s a testament to the Browns' star power, talent and roster makeover that a Pro Bowl defensive end making $15.5 million this season (second on the roster), who ranks in the top 10 in the NFL over the last six years in quarterback hits, could flip up his hood at OTAs and relatively anonymously slip through the second day of voluntary team practice.

Freddie Kitchens, an offensive head coach, begged for more coverage of his defense Wednesday, mentioning new additions Vernon, defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson and safety Morgan Burnett.

“Anyways, we signed some defensive guys that can play some football. We really did,” Kitchens said. “Hopefully, you guys in the fall start talking about them a little bit.”

The Browns themselves didn’t roll out Vernon in a news conference like they did with Beckham, who was introduced last month with Baker Mayfield, Jarvis Landry and Garrett like they were a new quartet of Cleveland sports super heroes. Vernon got Wednesday, hood up, head down.

After practice he was asked a lot about Beckham, his teammate in New York and now in Cleveland, and Garrett, the former No. 1 pick that Vernon will play opposite, giving the Browns bookend defensive ends to rival any team. But he’s here on his own merit. The Browns stole Beckham in their trade with the Giants -- Jabrill Peppers, a first-round pick that turned into defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, and a third-round pick that turned into defensive end Oshane Ximines, isn’t enough for a game-changing receiver.

But Vernon cost the Browns a real player. His deal was eventually folded in with Beckham’s. But the Browns gave up guard Kevin Zeitler, a seven-year starter and borderline All-Pro. Beckham cost the Browns a could be, a probably and a maybe. Vernon cost them a sure thing. So while Vernon wore a sweatshirt in the sun, hood up, saying he enjoys the brown and orange color palette of his new employer, he should have stood tall as a centerpiece of a future playoff team.

The Browns had a lot of options to go after to pair with Garrett. But Olivier, they picked you, paid for you, and are paying you.

“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.”

When Vernon heard Beckham was part of his trade as well, he thought, “OK, all right, they’ve got a plan.”

He’s also part of that plan.

“You feel it from the coaches, you feel it from the front office. Dorsey, he’s got a plan,” Vernon said of the Browns GM. “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.”

Several years ago, Vernon was statistically as effective rushing at right defensive end as anyone. In 2015 and 2016, no right end had more QB pressures. But Garrett has played primarily on the right side as well in his two years in the league, and Garrett was on the right side again Wednesday. Vernon said he didn’t know how the Browns might position the two ends, or if they’ll flip-flop them at times. But there’s a chance that the left end, now rushing over right tackles and perhaps often facing one-on-one matchups, will have the easiest path to the quarterback of his career.

Plus, Vernon had been playing in a 3-4 in New York, and is happy to get back to a 4-3. All in all, the sack totals for Vernon the last three years of 8.5, 6.5 and 7 should go up, because he’s more comfortable and he’s now No. 2 on the list of pass rushers that opponents will worry about.

You couldn’t get a great read on the defensive line Wednesday, as I watched them for much of practice. But just spying Garrett and Vernon at end, and Larry Ogunjobi and Richardson at tackle, it was easy to see this was a line of four real guys. Chris Smith and Anthony Zettel looked like the second-team ends Wednesday, while Genard Avery worked with the edge rushers all day in drills, but was used more as a third-teamer. It’s early, but as Vernon took the starting role filled by the uninspiring Emmanuel Ogbah last season, it was obvious.

The Browns would be a different team without Vernon.

“Olivier is exactly what we thought he was," Kitchens said. "He takes control on the field, takes control in the locker room and he is the leader of the team. We just need to continue to mesh people like that and see where we are.”

Richardson and Ogunjobi talked between drills, their hand motions giving away their collaborative football talk. Garrett and Vernon didn’t share a similar moment that I saw, but no one needs to teach Garrett much. Just Vernon’s presence is the point.

“Myles is kind of quiet,” Vernon said. “You’ve got to kind of pull teeth with him a little bit. ... But it’s a great opportunity for a lot of us guys to be able to play together.”

Vernon was pretty quiet himself. He accepted the trade as part of the business of the game. He said he was at OTAs because the defensive line needs to be together at practice to learn each other. He also said he was around mostly just to learn the playbook. And at age 28, he said it felt weird to be one of the older guys in the D-line group.

He’s not Odell. But if Beckham was brought in to enhance Mayfield, one franchise cornerstone, then Vernon was brought in to enhance Garrett, the other franchise cornerstone. Vernon isn’t just some guy to throw in the mix. He’s a clear part of John Dorsey’s plan.

That should make a guy feel pretty good.

“I’m glad to be here and I’m glad to be embraced by this organization,” Vernon said. “They want me here.”

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