Martin Emerson Jr. signed with the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday, ending his run with the Cleveland Browns and giving the veteran cornerback a new stop after an injury-shortened stretch in Cleveland. The move comes as post-draft NFL roster reshuffling continues across the league.
Emerson spent four seasons in Cleveland after the Browns selected him in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft out of Mississippi State. He started 33 of 50 games for the Browns and recorded four career interceptions before tearing his Achilles at the start of training camp last year.
The Browns had been interested in bringing Emerson back once he was healthy, but general manager Andrew Berry said the team believed Emerson would want to sign with a club where he could compete on the outside. That made Cleveland a difficult fit, since the Browns already have Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell locked into the outside cornerback roles.
The Saints now get a cornerback with starting experience and a track record in the AFC North, while Cleveland’s interest in a return never overcame the reality of its depth chart. For Emerson, the signing closes one chapter and opens another, with his next job offering a clearer path to the field than the one he left behind.
