The Browns have claimed cornerback Mekhi Blackmon off waivers from the Colts, per an announcement from Cleveland. When the move becomes official on Friday, Blackmon will take wide receiver Cedric Tillman‘s roster spot. The Browns waived Tillman on Thursday.
This is the second consecutive late-summer change of scenery for Blackmon, who joined the Colts last August in a trade with the Vikings. Minnesota spent a third-rounder on Blackmon in 2023, but after he missed his entire second season with a torn ACL, the team deemed him expendable.
The Colts, who acquired Blackmon for a 2026 sixth-rounder, unexpectedly landed a player who led their cornerbacks in defensive snaps (783). That wasn’t an ideal outcome, though, as injuries to starters Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward contributed to a heavy workload for Blackmon.
Over 17 games and 11 starts, Blackmon recorded 64 tackles, seven passes defensed and a pair of interception. While those numbers look fine, Pro Football Focus assigned Blackmon the seventh-worst grade in coverage among 112 qualified corners. The 5-foot-11, 187-pounder earned a better ranking in overall performance (98th), but not by much.
Blackmon will head to Cleveland with a resume that includes 15 pass breakups and three picks in 32 games. Primarily a boundary corner, Blackmon will not have a chance to start as long as Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell stay healthy. He also played 69 snaps in the slot last year, though, and could provide additional depth there.
Undrafted rookie Michael Coats Jr., another of Cleveland’s reserve CB possibilities, has made a legitimate case for a roster spot this summer, per Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. However, his status is in question after he suffered an ankle injury in practice on Tuesday. Coats was wearing a protective boot on his foot on Thursday, according to Zac Jackson of The Athletic.
Elsewhere on defense, the Browns are likely to add along the edge, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN suggests. The Browns showed summer interest in Jadeveon Clowney and Za’Darius Smith, but after those two signed with other teams, they lost expected starter Alex Wright to a season-ending Achilles tear. Even though Cleveland brought in Derek Barnett on a one-year, $3.5MM deal to take Wright’s spot, the team remains thin at defensive end behind Jared Verse. As of now, it appears Isaiah McGuire will start opposite Verse.
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