With the 2026 NFL Draft now complete, teams around the league will re-evaluate their rosters and identify their remaining needs to begin the second offseason wave of veteran free agency. The Cleveland Browns have done so already by signing former Denver Broncos fullback Michael Burton.
The Browns will also lose former players in this process, as most of their departing offensive linemen, including Jack Conklin and Ethan Pocic, are still looking for new teams. Now, one former defensive starter is moving on elsewhere.
According to Josina Anderson of ESPN, cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. is signing with the New Orleans Saints.
“Martin Emerson Jr. is joining the Saints after being a former starter for the Browns & missing all of last season with an Achilles injury he suffered in training camp,” Anderson wrote on X.
More: Martin Emerson Jr. is joining the #Saints after being a former starter for the #Browns & missing all of last season with an Achilles injury he suffered in training camp. ⬇️ https://t.co/xQnK6WTj06 pic.twitter.com/IBDmEHgrXm
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) April 28, 2026
Anderson reports Emerson is getting a one-year deal, which is likely to be a prove-it type of contract as he returns to action from his serious injury. If he shows he can reach his former level of play, he can become a free agent again with a likely more robust market.
Heading into last season, Emerson, a third-round pick from the 2022 NFL Draft, was seen as an emerging player for Cleveland’s heralded defense. In 2024, he made 80 combined tackles, including 62 solo, with three tackles for loss and five passes defended, playing all 17 games and making 15 starts.
The year before, he posted four interceptions with 14 passes defended in 16 games (12 starts). As a rookie, he was credited with 15 passes defended and his only NFL sack over 17 games (six starts).
His injury during practice last summer was just the beginning of upheaval in the Browns’ secondary. During the season, they traded Greg Newsome Jr. to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for cornerback Tyson Campbell, who played opposite Pro Bowler Denzel Ward.
This offseason, it was reported that Ward might be cut for salary cap concerns, but he restructured his contract instead. Then, the Browns were thought to be looking to add a cornerback in the draft, but they did not, selecting eight offensive players among their 10 picks instead.
Now, Emerson gets a new opportunity with the Saints as he looks to restart his once-promising career.
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