Injuries on defense have been a major training camp storyline for the Cleveland Browns this summer, especially in the secondary and along the defensive line. Starting cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell have both missed a number of practices, to the point where lesser-known players Tre Avery and undrafted rookie Nate Evans worked with the first unit last week and ended up starting Saturday’s preseason opener at Chicago.
Cleveland’s lack of proven depth behind Ward, Campbell, and nickelback Myles Harden has become impossible to ignore. GM Andrew Berry has attempted to bolster the group by adding veterans like Myles Bryant and Damarri Mathis, but both are down with injuries; Mathis was recently placed on season-ending injured reserve.
Berry will likely be scouring the waiver wire and working the trade market with an eye on adding some help. The elephant in the room is that Martin Emerson Jr., Cleveland’s own third-round draft pick in 2022, was available to sign on the open market until finally landing with the New Orleans Saints in late April. Why the Browns passed on their own homegrown talent remains a major head-scratcher.
Especially with Emerson reportedly thriving and clearly in the mix to make the Saints’ 53-man roster this summer.
Per Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus, Emerson “dominated” in New Orleans’ preseason opener against the Jaguars, recording three pass breakups on 13 coverage snaps. PFF gave him an elite 91.3 coverage grade for the game and showed some highlights of Emerson moving well and locking down on Jaguars receivers.
“[Emerson] could be a hidden gem in a New Orleans secondary that lacks proven players,” Locker wrote.
Passing on Martin Emerson Jr. could become a major regret for the Browns
Pass breakups are nothing new for Emerson. He had 15 during his rookie year, which ranked sixth in the NFL. He followed that up with another 14 during the 2023 season.
Emerson’s production took a slight step back in 2024, which led to him entering training camp in 2025 on an expiring rookie contract. He then tore his Achilles tendon during a practice in late July, forcing him to miss the entire season.
The 25-year-old was back healthy for the start of the 2026 league year, but the Browns surprisingly let him explore his options in free agency. Speaking at the NFL Owners Meetings in late March, Berry told reporters the team "selfishly would love to have him back,” but essentially said it would take an injury to Ward or Campbell to seriously pique the Browns’ interest.
“I think we're also realistic that with MJ and the injury that he's coming off of, to reach his personal goals, he's also got to be in a position where he has maybe a strong opportunity to compete for a starting spot,” Berry said. “That's probably a little bit harder with how we're configured with Denzel and Tyson.”
Every NFL player wants to compete for a starting spot. For Emerson, coming off a major injury, all he really needed was an opportunity to prove that he was healthy and able to play at a high level again.
Emerson wound up signing a one-year deal with the Saints on April 29. According to Spotrac, his deal had a max value of $1.5 million with a $300,000 signing bonus and $650,000 in guarantees.
For context, the Browns could have re-signed Emerson for not much more than your typical rookie free agent right after the draft.
A healthy Emerson would be Cleveland’s clear-cut No. 3 boundary corner behind Ward and Campbell right now. Like Avery, Evans, and another undrafted player in Michael Coats Jr., there would have been plenty of quality reps for him in training camp this year.
The whole thing was surprising back in the spring, and it’s even more perplexing now that Emerson is reportedly having a strong offseason. The Browns will almost certainly need to use their depth defensive backs at some point during the regular season, and it could be hard not to look back on the Emerson decision as a major second guess.
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