Martin Emerson Jr. has found his next NFL home. The New Orleans Saints are signing the former Cleveland Browns cornerback.
Emerson, 25, hit free agency this spring after missing all of last season with a torn Achilles — an injury he suffered during a non-contact drill in training camp that wiped out what was supposed to be a contract year.
His deal with the Saints is for one year, per Josina Anderson. It took some time but Emerson now has a new home and will look to earn a long-term deal with the Saints or elsewhere.
In three seasons with Cleveland, Emerson made 33 starts and compiled four interceptions and 34 pass breakups. He was selected by the Browns in the third round of the 2022 draft out of Mississippi State.
Browns Opted Against a Reunion With Martin Emerson
GettyThe Browns opted against a reunion with Martin Emerson Jr.
Before the injury derailed his trajectory, Emerson had quietly become one of the more reliable young cornerbacks in the AFC. His best season came in 2023, when he recorded 59 tackles, 14 pass deflections and four interceptions alongside Ward in Cleveland’s secondary. As a rookie in 2022, Emerson posted 63 tackles and 15 pass breakups.
The Browns opted against bringing Emerson back following the injury. Browns general manager Andrew Berry had said it didn’t make sense, with Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell — who the Browns traded for mid-season — entrenched as the starters in Cleveland.
“Love MJ,” Berry said. “Absolutely love MJ. both as a person and as a player. Selfishly would love to have him back. 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 acknowledged that the opportunity wasn’t available in Cleveland.
“That’s probably a little bit harder with how we’re configured with Denzel and Tyson. But certainly if that changes, we’d love to have him back.”
The Saints present a new opportunity for Emerson. New Orleans returns starting cornerbacks Kool-Aid McKinstry and Quincy Riley, but Emerson has a proven track record when healthy and could carve out a larger role if he shows he’s fully past the injury.
Browns Add to Secondary With Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
The Browns still have work to do at cornerback, but they did bolster the secondary during the draft. Cleveland traded up to No. 58 in the second round to land Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.
The 6-foot-3, 203-pound McNeil-Warren was widely considered a late first-round talent who slipped to the Browns.
“Ever since the beginning of the combine, I feel like the Browns, they love me. They’ve been supporting me. They’ve been just telling me how good a player I am, and as a person too,” McNeil-Warren said. “It felt like home, like family. All the coaches were cool, everything. So I feel like it was just a blessing for them just to be on the same team back in Ohio with them.”
McNeil-Warren joins a safety group that includes Grant Delpit and Ronnie Hickman.
Ex-Browns Starter Martin Emerson Finds New Home in NFC South