The Cleveland Browns are looking to get back on track in London this Sunday when they square off against the Minnesota Vikings. This presents the Browns' defense with quite an opportunity, as the Vikings will be without four players along the offensive line, including multiple starters.
As kickoff inches closer, it is becoming clearer that Cleveland's Greg Newsome II may not be able to play due to a hamstring injury. He's listed as questionable as of this writing. However, the Browns have already decided to elevate cornerbacks Tre Avery and Dom Jones to the active roster, giving off the sense that Newsome will likely be sidelined, per Chris Easterling of Akron Beacon Journal/Gannett Ohio.
Cleveland elevated both Avery and Jones from the practice squad for last week's loss to the Detroit Lions and decided to do so again to have additional depth in the CB room. NFL teams are allowed to elevate players from the practice squad to the active roster only three times a season. After that third elevation from the practice squad, the player must be signed to the active roster or go through waivers before the team can re-sign them to the practice squad.
And with one chance left to do that with Avery and Jones, the Browns must decide who they'll bring onto the team.
Browns Will Need to Make a Roster Decision on Tre Avery and Dom Jones
Newsome is dealing with a hamstring injury, and those are known to be very tricky. Considering that the issue only popped up on the injury report this week isn't a good sign. This doesn't even take into account the impact that flying across the Atlantic Ocean twice will have on his hamstring. Newsome will likely need multiple weeks off to recover, opening a door at one of the cornerback spots.
Avery has only logged 12 special team snaps in 2025 for the Browns. Nonetheless, he was a contributor for the Tennessee Titans during his time in Nashville. From 2022-2024, Avery had 65 total tackles, three TFLs, and 11 pass breakups in 38 games (five starts).
As for Jones, he joined the Browns as an undrafted free agent this offseason and spent the training camp with the franchise. During the preseason, Jones had 10 total tackles with an overall grade of 60 from Pro Football Focus.
Whether these guys make an impact on special teams or get thrown onto the field remains to be seen. Regardless, the Browns have one more chance to elevate them from the taxi squad onto the active roster. To avoid that, they will need to sign them onto the active roster, and the injury to Newsome would accelerate that decision.
Cleveland has already lost Martin Emerson Jr. for the year with a torn Achilles, and now it appears that their other starting CB will miss time too. For the sake of depth alone, Avery or Jones will need to be brought onto the active roster again if Newsome continues to be sidelined. If not, they may have to look elsewhere for DB help.