Cleveland Browns Reuniting With Depth Cornerback on Free Agent Deal

The Cleveland Browns quietly needed depth at cornerback coming into the 2026 offseason.

While the offensive line has clearly been the focus for Browns general manager Andrew Berry, the Browns haven’t forgotten about their defense.

Immediately after losing Devin Bush on a three-year deal worth up to $30 million to the Chicago Bears, Berry signed former All Pro linebacker Quincy Williams away from the New York Jets. Now, Berry is stocking up in the secondary.

Browns re-sign Tre Avery

According to Matt Zentiz of CBS Sports, the Browns are re-signing cornerback Tre Avery, who played in 10 games with the Browns last season. He had 13 total tackles for the Browns last season.

The #Browns are re-signing cornerback Tre Avery, sources tell @CBSSports.

Avery, who was with the Titans from 2022-24, played in 10 games for Cleveland last season. During his time with Tennessee, made five starts and posted 78 tackles along with 11 pass breakups. pic.twitter.com/ApDvhlGHRR
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) March 12, 2026

Avery started his career with the Tennessee Titans after going undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft. He stuck around Tennessee until 2024, when the San Francisco 49ers claimed the 5-foot-11 cornerback off of waivers. In 2025, Avery was claimed off of waivers by the New England Patriots but was released. He spent a week in the preseason with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but didn’t make their final roster.

After a turbulent offseason with three different organizations, Avery found himself on the Browns after their season got started. During last year’s offseason program, the Browns lost cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. to a ruptured Achilles tendon.

Avery landed on Cleveland’s practice squad on Sept. 16 and was signed to the active roster one month later. Following Cleveland’s Greg Newsome swap for Tyson Campbell before the NFL trade deadline, Avery found himself in a rotational role in Cleveland’s secondary.

What’s this mean for Avery and the Browns?

The good news for Avery is that new Browns defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg supposedly has a PhD level understanding of defensive backfields.

The Browns must really see something they like in Avery, who bounced around four different organizations before winding up in Cleveland.

During an exclusive interview with the BIGPLAY Sports Network, Browns free agent Mo Hurst admitted that himself along with other members of Cleveland’s top-ranked defense were hoping that Jim Schwartz would be named the next head coach of the team.

"As a defense, we were really pulling for Schwartz to be back,” Hurst said. “You know, that’s obviously good for business if you’re a defensive player and your d-coordinator becomes the head coach like, probably could give you some more time with the team or a new deal.”

"As a defense, we were really pulling for Schwartzy to be back. It was hard for me to see him not get that job because he's the one who brought me here."@MoHurstJr is enthusiastic about the Mike Rutenberg hire, but explains why moving on from Jim Schwartz was initially tough. pic.twitter.com/ZAPwPdrRQ7
— BIGPLAY Cleveland Show (@BIGPLAYCLEshow) March 5, 2026

It’s unclear if Hurst will be back with the Browns. But understanding that thought process, perhaps Avery stood above the defensive coordinator change and put something on tape that stood out to Berry and Rutenberg as well.

Avery could also contribute on special teams, and versatility has been a huge selling point to Berry all offseason long.