The Cleveland Browns are on their way to Chicago for their first preseason game of the 2026 summer, to be played Saturday afternoon against the Bears. While that means a quiet weekend in Berea in the coming days, the team still did see some action on Thursday–on the transaction wire. Cleveland and coach Todd Monken added a new cornerback.
From the Browns.com release: “The Cleveland Browns have signed CB Jeremiah McClendon. To make room on the roster, the team waived CB Tyron Herring with an injury designation. McClendon (6-0, 185) is a rookie out of Southern Illinois. He was originally signed by New Orleans as an undrafted free agent in April. McClendon will wear No. 47.”
Herring was a UDFA last season and spent the year shuffling between the practice squads of the Patriots and the Packers. The Browns signed him on May 26, and he had been working out with the first team as injuries have hurt the depth at cornerback. Herring had an interception this week, but was injured on Wednesday.
Browns Add Decorated Collegian
Desperate for bodies, the Browns have added McClendon, who was a second-team FCS All-American at Southern Illinois last season. He was not one for staying still while in college, transferring from Marshall to Charleston Southern to Florida International before landing with the Salukis to finish his career.
McClendon, who grew up the youngest of 14 children in Florida and was adopted by his aunt, tied a school record at Southern Illinois with 14 pass breakups, and had two interceptions on the season.
He’d hoped to be a late-round draft pick, but wound up heading the UDFA route. As he said, “Playing in the NFL is something I’ve dreamed about since I was a toddler, before I could even walk around with a football in my hand. To have an opportunity to make a team would mean everything to me.”
Cornerback Depth an Issue
Given the way things have gone in the Browns secondary so far this summer, he could have that opportunity. The team has one of the best front-line cornerback combos in the NFL with Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell, but has had difficulty filling out the depth chart and keeping players on the field.
From The Athletic on Thursday: “The Browns have been hit hard by cornerback injuries. A day after July acquisition Damarri Mathis suffered a season-ending injury, Tyron Herring left the practice field early Wednesday…. Veterans D’Angelo Ross and Myles Bryant, both of whom are competing for roster spots as backup cornerbacks and special teams players, have missed multiple days due to injury.
“Three undrafted rookie cornerbacks — Nate Evans, Jeadyn Lukus and Michael Coats Jr. — are expected to see extended action in the preseason opener.”
Browns Coaches Not Fretting About Depth
While it is obvious that the Browns are hurting for depth in the defensive backfield, the coaches are doing their best to gloss over the problem.
As defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg said, “It’s awesome when you have depth at backup positions, and we have that. We have multiple people competing for multiple spots, and that’s really exciting for a football team, because it shows development by the coaches and by the players. I’m excited to see all those guys continue to compete through this.”
And defensive backs coach Brandon Lynch, asked about CB depth concerns, said, “I really see these as great opportunity areas for young players to develop and really help our team get a chance to expose exactly who we say we are.”
Browns Cut Ties With DB, Add All-American Before Opener vs. Bears