The Browns’ first preseason game did more than add another result to the summer ledger. It put Cleveland’s cornerback depth under a bright light, and that’s the kind of thing Andrew Berry can’t just file away and ignore.
Against the Bears on Saturday, the Browns were carved up in the second half of a 34-10 loss. The damage came against the third- and fourth-stringers, but the message was still loud: Cleveland needs more help on the back end. Chicago scored 34 straight points, and the Browns’ secondary gave up three touchdown passes of 6, 25, and 49 yards.
Cleveland does have a strong top pair at corner in Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell. After that, though, the picture gets murky fast.
The Browns had brought in Damarri Mathis to compete for a roster spot, but he suffered a severe lower-leg injury last week at practice and was placed on season-ending injured reserve. He also missed all of the 2025 season with a torn ACL while with the Carolina Panthers.
That’s the kind of roster situation that naturally pushes a team toward the phones, and Berry is already in that mode as preseason winds down. One possible avenue comes from Green Bay, where Carrington Valentine has surfaced as a name to watch.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report recently listed one player from every NFL team he believed should be traded before the regular season. For the Browns, he pointed to quarterback Dillon Gabriel. But on the cornerback market, he also identified Valentine as a potential trade candidate for the Packers.
Valentine, a seventh-round pick by Green Bay in 2023, has become a steady part of that secondary over three seasons. His production dipped a bit in 2025 after he started 11 games, but the Packers also added two new corners this year, including Bradon Cisse in the second round. With Valentine heading into the final season of his rookie deal, a trade could make sense for Green Bay, which would save about $3.7 million in cap space by moving him.
It’s the kind of deal that fits the way Berry tends to operate. He has long shown a preference for players who are entering the last year of their rookie contracts, giving him flexibility to work the numbers in a way that benefits both sides.
After what Cleveland just showed in its preseason opener, the need is even harder to miss. Berry has a secondary issue in front of him, and the Browns’ first game made that plain.
In Other News...
Browns Gave These Young Players A Real Chance To Make Noise
The Browns first preseason outing against the Bears offered a real look at how the roster depth is taking shape, and it was the kind of game where young players could get noticed quickly. Deshaun Watson handled the offensive snaps, while rookies Spencer Fano and KT Leveston were on the field plenty on the offensive line, giving Cleveland a better sense of who can hold up when the pace speeds up and the looks get more complicated.
On defense, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren and Justin Jefferson each logged more than half the snaps and showed up in the tackle column, while Chris Edmonds led the group in both snaps and tackles. For a preseason opener, that kind of workload matters as much as the box score does, because it tells the Browns who they can trust when the real rotation questions start getting answered. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Suddenly Face A Dillon Gabriel Question They Can't Ignore
Dillon Gabriel entered Browns camp as a 2025 third-round pick trying to carve out a place in a crowded quarterback room, and the early read on him has been a mixed one. Cleveland is not viewing him as a real contender for the starting job, but the team does value his experience and intelligence, traits that helped make him an intriguing developmental piece when he arrived.
The question now is less about where Gabriel fits at the top of the depth chart and more about whether he looks dependable enough to stick as the next man up. His preseason performance has prompted some concern about his viability as a backup, and that kind of uncertainty can matter quickly for a team that has to think about roster flexibility. If the Browns decide they need a different answer behind their starter, Gabriel could become part of a larger conversation about whether to keep him, move him, or simply see what else comes along. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Fans Can Finally Exhale Over Carson Schwesinger's Camp Absence
Carson Schwesingers extended run on the sideline at Browns training camp had started to look like the sort of nagging concern that can linger all August, but Cleveland has been trying to keep the view from turning alarmist. Head coach Todd Monken said the linebackers absence is part of a cautious approach, not the sign of a serious injury, which at least gives the Browns some breathing room as camp moves deeper into the preseason.
The plan now is for Schwesinger to return to practice next week before Clevelands third preseason game, giving him a chance to get back into the flow before the regular season starts Sept. 13. For a team that has already spent enough time managing health questions, the hope is simple: get Schwesinger back on the field soon enough to build comfort, find rhythm and avoid a late-summer headache. [Read more 🡒]