The Cleveland Browns spent much of the early portion of the offseason fortifying what was an abysmal offensive line last year, but the team’s priorities have shifted more to the secondary in recent days.
Case in point, Cleveland added former Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Tyler Hall to the roster on Tuesday, August 4. The Browns cut ties with reserve offensive tackle Jack Conley in a corresponding move to clear the spot for Hall. The team announced the signing via its official website.
Hall will play the upcoming campaign at 28 years old in what will technically be his fourth NFL campaign, per Cleveland’s press release. He entered the league in 2020 with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent out of Wyoming, though Hall saw most of his action in 2022 and 2023 as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Across two seasons with the Raiders, Hall appeared in 18 games and earned six starts, lining up for a total of 379 defensive snaps and 84 snaps on special teams across that run. Hall fell out of the league in 2024 but returned as a member of the Seattle Seahawks last season, playing in one game that included three plays on special teams.
Hall has produced 46 combined tackles, including two tackles for loss, four pass breakups and one sack across 32 appearances, per Pro Football Reference. According to the Browns’ website, Hall stands at five-feet, 10-inches tall and weighs 190 pounds and will don jersey No. 29.
Browns Relatively Thin at Cornerback Behind Top Starters Denzel Ward, Tyson Campbell
GettyCornerback Tyson Campbell of the Cleveland Browns.
While the odds remain against Hall actually stepping into a significant role on what should be a solid defense again in Cleveland, assuming he makes the 53-man roster at the end of August, the lack of depth behind the starters at the CB position should afford Hall a legitimate chance to compete over the course of training camp/the preseason.
The two outside cornerback spots are well solidified, with five-time Pro Bowler Denzel Ward and sixth-year pro Tyson Campbell (72 games played, 71 starts) occupying the two starting positions.
ESPN lists 2023 seventh-round pick Myles Harden and recent Houston Texans contributor Myles Bryant as the two nickel cornerbacks. Starting experience behind those players, however, is exceedingly thin.
Browns Just Made CB Denzel Ward the Highest-Paid Player in the NFL at His Position
GettyCleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward has signed a record-setting extension to remain with the team.
Ward has had a concerning history of concussion issues, though he has started and appeared in 31 of 34 regular-season games over the past two years.
His performance during those two seasons, along with his exceptional play throughout the course of most of his eight-year NFL career to this point, earned Ward a new two-year contract extension last week worth a total of $62.2 million. The AAV of $31.1 million per season makes the 29-year-old DB the highest-paid cornerback in the league currently.
Ward inked a five-year extension in Cleveland worth $100.5 million back in 2022 and is now under contract with the Browns through the 2029 campaign.
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