Denver Broncos cornerback Damarri Mathis. Getty
The Cleveland Browns are going to enter training camp with several compelling position battles. Obviously, the quarterback spot is going to draw the most attention, with Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders duking it out for the starting job, but that isn't the only area that fans will need to keep tabs on.
Just days before the start of training camp, Cleveland has decided to shake up its cornerback depth chart with a handful of moves. After releasing Dom Jones with a failed physical designation, the Browns needed to add someone at this position, which led them to sign a former starter in the Denver Broncos secondary.
The Browns will enter the 2026 campaign with one of the better cornerback duos in the league, Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell . The depth behind them is just as important, and for much of the offseason, it seemed like Jones, who stuck around with Cleveland last year as an undrafted rookie, would have a shot to carve out a role for himself.
Instead, Jones failed his physical after reporting to training camp, which led the Browns to release him. It didn't take long for the team to find his replacement, as it decided to give former Broncos starting cornerback Damarri Mathis a shot. The 2025 campaign was a wash for Mathis, as he was cut by Denver, only to be scooped up by the Carolina Panthers and then suffer a torn ACL less than two weeks later that caused him to miss the entire season.
A fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Mathis immediately played a key role in the Broncos' secondary. He started 11 of the 16 games he appeared in as a rookie, racking up 65 tackles and seven pass breakups. Mathis eventually fell out of favor in Denver, though, leading to his aforementioned release. He's got another shot with a new team, though, as Cleveland brought him in to be Jones' replacement ahead of the start of training camp.
"We've signed CB Damarri Mathis and waived CB Dom Jones with a failed physical designation," the Browns announced in a post on X.
GettyDenver Broncos cornerback Damarri Mathis.
Things haven't exactly gone Mathis' way over the past few years, but he still is only 27 years old, and he has proven previously that he can hold his own in the right defensive scheme. Ward and Campbell are going to get the majority of the Browns' snaps at cornerback, but Mathis could very well earn a depth role if he puts together some strong tape during training camp.
Cleveland is still rebuilding, so expectations for the 2026 campaign aren't going to be high. If the team can identify players who will be a part of their next great team, though, they will have managed to do some good work this season. Mathis isn't the flashiest signing, but he has the upside to make a name for himself with the Browns, and who knows, maybe he will be able to earn a spot on the roster when all is said and done.
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