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The Browns swapped cornerbacks on their active roster on Tuesday, per an official announcement, signing former Bronco Damarri Mathis and waiving 2025 UDFA Dom Jones with a failed physical designation.
Mathis, 27, was originally a Broncos fourth-round pick out of Pitt in 2022. He stepped into a starting role partway through his rookie year and started the last 11 games of Denver’s season. He allowed 6.6 yards per target – just 0.5 yards worse than All-Pro teammate Patrick Surtain – and ranked second on the team with seven passes defended.
Mathis retained his starting job into 2023, but a rough start quickly saw him benched. He allowed 9.3 yards per target with just one pass defended over the course of the year; he also surrendered three touchdowns on 39 targets after just one on 78 targets the previous season. In 2024, Mathis appeared in 10 games with just one start and 80 snaps on defense (and a bigger role on special teams).
The Broncos waived Mathis during final roster cuts last year and he was quickly claimed off waivers by the Panthers. However, a torn ACL quickly forced him onto injured reserve and his contract expired after the season.
Mathis’ signing was the result of a successful workout in Cleveland earlier on Tuesday. He will add some depth to a Browns depth chart that is somewhat thin at the cornerback position. The team is returning their 2026 starters – Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell on the boundary and Myles Harden in the slot – but Myles Bryant is their only backup with meaningful past experience.
Jones, 26, signed with the Browns as an undrafted free agent out of North Dakota State last year. He appeared in eight games as a rookie before suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 11. His failed physical designation indicates he has not yet fully completed his recovery.
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