A heated practice skirmish with Jared Verse proved the turning point for Spencer Fano, whose grit and competitive fire finally secured him the Cleveland Browns’ blindside role.
Spencer Fano was always destined to become the Cleveland Browns starting left tackle. Head coach Todd Monken made it very clear after night one of the NFL Draft back in April that they planned on starting him there.
However, Monken was never just going to hand him the job either. He had to earn it.
So, when the Browns opened their offseason program in the spring, Fano spent most of his time with the twos. Then he found himself in a steady rotation with three-year veteran Dawand Jones for the job when training camp began two weeks ago.
Something changed this past Saturday, though, on what was Day 10 of camp. After days of fierce competition between Fano and new edge rusher Jared Verse, the two found themselves tangled in a mid-practice skirmish that saw Verse rip Fano's helmet off and attempt to swing on him. The two wound up on the ground, wrestling with each other as their teammates swarmed them.
The moment served as a key inflection point that convinced Monken that the No. 9 overall pick was ready for the starting role.
"It was just a long practice. It was really competitive and physical," Fano said of his tussle with Verse. "And then things just got a little heated towards the middle of practice there. And then after practice we were fine."
There were no hard feelings between the two, who were seen hugging it out after practice. From Fano's perspective, it happened in the spirit of competition and frankly, made them both better.
"I think at the end of the day, we're both competitors. And so all we want to do is win. And then we get really upset if we lose," he explained. "So I think that's kind of the way both of us are wired and we both understand that. So just at the end of a practice, at the end of the day, we're still teammates and we're still here to get each other better. And that he's been getting me so much better."
Fano's battles with Verse have come with plenty of growing pains, as well. Early on in camp there was a day where the 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year beat Fano and the Utah product could be seen smacking both sides of his own helmet.
That's par for the course when you're going against one of the best pass rushers in football nearly every snap. In some respects, Fano has Verse to thank for accelerating his learning curve to the point where he earned a promotion this week. Verse has even been seen working with Fano after practice one-on-one to help him refine his craft.
"He's just always the same dude and then every single play he's bringing 100%," said Fano of Verse. "So I think relentless is the perfect way to describe him."
Verse doesn't get all the credit for Fano's development thus far, though. He's put in plenty of his own work to try and improve. It hasn't been unnoticed by O-line coach George Warhop.
"Everything. I mean, the biggest challenge for Spencer, he's really gotten comfortable going from the right into the left side," Warhop said of where he's seen Fano improve already. "He improving. He's going to be a good player because of [the competition]."
It's helped that Fano has taken to Warhop's coaching.
"I feel like I've improved pretty much everywhere," said Fano."Just listening to the coaching that Coach Warhop gives me and trying to, what I need to do is just try to get as close to what he wants every single play. And as I continue to do that, I'll just get better."
His coaches and teammates aren't the only people he's learning from either. Browns' Hall of Famer Joe Thomas has been in the building during camp as well, and Fano made a point to talk to the player he's idolized.
"It was so freaking cool," said Fano of his interactions with Thomas. "We had him in here on the meetings and it's crazy just sitting next to a dude that has really done it all at the highest level. I don't think there's anyone that's done it at a higher level than him. And for him to give me some of his knowledge and to help teach me while I was out here was so freaking cool. It was amazing."
The Browns hope Fano can be their next franchise left tackle, a role they've failed to fill since Thomas retired after the 2017 season.
For now, though, Fano is just using the resources around him to get better one day at a time.
