The Cleveland Browns added reinforcements on defense Saturday ahead of a pivotal season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Cleveland elevated linebacker Nathaniel Watson and cornerback D’Angelo Ross from the practice squad Saturday ahead of Sunday’s season opener against the Jaguars. The team announced the moves as it finalized preparations for Todd Monken’s regular-season debut as head coach.
The elevations give Cleveland additional options on defense and special teams without requiring a corresponding cut from the 53-man roster.
Under the NFL’s practice squad elevation rules, teams can elevate up to two players for a game, temporarily expanding their roster to 55. Those players automatically return to the practice squad afterward without going through waivers.
Each player can receive three standard elevations during the regular season. To use him in another game after that, a team must sign him to its 53-man roster. An elevation also does not guarantee a player will dress, although both Watson and Ross appear positioned to contribute Sunday.
Browns Add Insurance at Cornerback and Linebacker
Ross gives Cleveland another option at a position where the depth behind starters Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell has been a concern heading into the season.
The Browns have continued working on that group, including signing veteran cornerback Noah Igbinoghene on September 1. Elevating Ross provides another layer of insurance against Jacksonville’s passing attack.
Ross also brings familiarity. He joined Cleveland last November and appeared in seven games with the Browns. Watson, a sixth-round pick in 2024, played 14 games as a rookie before missing all of last season on injured reserve.
First-year defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg hopes his defense can set the tone early.
“When the ball is thrown, we’re arriving with bad intentions,” Rutenberg said. “We’re built off that. We choose violence in everything we do.”
Browns Face Immediate Test Against Jaguars
Cleveland enters the opener with modest outside expectations. Jacksonville was listed as an 8.5-point favorite at FanDuel.
Defensively, Cleveland must show it can remain a strength after trading Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams. Jared Verse takes over as the headline pass rusher, while Rutenberg replaces Jim Schwartz as the coordinator of a unit that finished fourth in total defense last season.
The offense carries even more uncertainty. Deshaun Watson will make his first regular-season appearance in nearly two years after an Achilles injury and subsequent setback cost him the entire 2025 season. Monken chose him to lead an offense that needs considerably more stability from its most important position.
Watson heads into the matchup with a 7-0 career record against the Jaguars.
“I guess a majority of it was that was one of our big rival teams, being in that same division when I played for Houston,” Watson said. “So it was mandatory to try to get those games. They were very, very, very close, intense games, and we found ways to win. That’s pretty much all I can say about that.”
One game will not settle every question about Watson, Monken or the defense’s ability to thrive without Garrett. But Sunday gives the Browns their first opportunity to replace projections with something more convincing.
Browns Announce Pair of Roster Moves Ahead of Monken’s Debut