The Cleveland Browns made a notable move at cornerback this week, signing former Broncos defensive back Damarri Mathis while waiving 2025 undrafted free agent Dom Jones due to a failed physical designation. The transaction addresses a position group that carries more uncertainty than it might initially appear, given how thin the depth chart looks behind the team’s top two cornerbacks. According to Daniel Oyefusi, Mathis now finds himself in a genuinely favorable position to carve out a real role heading into the season.
Oyefusi laid out exactly why this opportunity exists for Mathis in Cleveland’s secondary.
“Mathis was with the Panthers last season but tore his ACL in September. Not a lot of proven depth behind Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell, so there’s an opportunity with training camp looming,” Oyefusi posted.
Mathis was with the Panthers last season but tore his ACL in September. Not a lot of proven depth behind Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell, so there’s an opportunity with training camp looming. https://t.co/Jgy94qkbkm
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) July 21, 2026
Mathis enters this situation with a real body of NFL experience, having appeared in 43 games and started 18 of them across three seasons with the Broncos after being selected in the fourth round of the 2022 draft. That kind of established track record, even without a single standout statistical season, gives him a meaningful edge over unproven depth options competing for the same roster spots. The torn ACL he suffered in September while with the Panthers does introduce some recovery timeline questions heading into camp, but the fact that Cleveland made this move suggests confidence in his health and long-term fit within the secondary.
Waiving Jones due to a failed physical removes one body from the room entirely, further thinning out the group of players fighting for reps behind Ward and Campbell.
Ward’s standing as one of the league’s top cornerbacks, recently ranked among the best at his position in an executive poll, gives Cleveland stability at one spot, and Campbell has established himself as a reliable starter as well. But NFL seasons rarely unfold without injuries or unexpected absences at any position, and a team lacking proven depth behind its top two cornerbacks can find itself exposed quickly if either player misses extended time.
As training camp gets underway, this cornerback competition adds another storyline worth tracking for a defense already adjusting to significant changes elsewhere on the roster. If Mathis can prove healthy and productive, Cleveland could quickly find the kind of proven depth that turns a potential vulnerability into a genuine strength heading into the regular season.
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