Cleveland Browns Shake Up Their Defensive Backfield With a Cornerback Swap

The Cleveland Browns kept busy on defense on Tuesday, as the team is going through Phase 3 of the offseason program.

On the same day the Browns had a former fourth-round defensive end for the Vikings, Janarius Robinson, in for a visit and workout, Cleveland also made a swap in their defensive backfield.

The Browns signed CB Tyron Herring and waived CB DeCarlos Nicholson with an injury designation. Nicholson wasn’t participating in last week’s OTA practice open to media.
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) May 26, 2026

The Browns signed cornerback Tyron Herring and waived cornerback DeCarlos Nicholson, according to the team's website, shaking up the backend of their defensive depth chart. Nicholson was waived with an injury designation.

According to Oyefusi, Nicholson wasn’t participating in last week’s OTA practice open to the media.

Nicholson was one of 12 undrafted free agents signed by the Browns right before the team’s rookie minicamp earlier this month.

Herring is a first-year player out of Delaware who originally signed as an undrafted free agent in 2025 with Green Bay, and spent portions of last season on the practice squads of the Packers and Patriots.

What does this swap mean for the Browns’ defense?

It’s purely a depth move. Nicholson was competing with fellow UDFAs Michael Coats Jr., Nate Evans and Zion Washington, presumably, for one of the last spots on the Browns active roster.

Currently, the Browns have five-time Pro Bowler Denzel Ward and Tyron Campbell as their main cornerbacks, with Myles Harden as the top nickelback. The primary backups on Cleveland’s roster include free agent addition Myles Bryant, Dom Jones, D’Angelo Ross and Tre Avery, the latter two re-signed by the team at the onset of free agency.

The Browns also decided not to add a cornerback during the 2026 NFL Draft, although they did bring in some help to the defensive backfield with second-round safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren out of Toledo. He’s expected to play a big role on defense, in three-safety sets.

While the picture is still murky in regards to how the depth chart will ultimately be configured once the season starts, Ross, Avery and Jones figure to be among the favorites to stick with the club, but the Browns are wise to add options to its offseason roster, just in case.

Earlier in the offseason, the team decided not to tender exclusive rights free agent cornerback Anthony Kendall. He didn’t appear in any games for the Browns last season.

Next up for the Browns is mandatory minicamp, from June 9-11 at the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus in Berea, where we'll find out more on where each player stands in the team's plans.

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