Former second-team All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander was released earlier this month by the Green Bay Packers after the team tried to get him to take a pay reduction, but he didn't agree to it. Alexander has dealt with injuries and missed significant time in three out of the last four seasons, and has played less than 800 snaps combined over the past two seasons.
But when he is healthy, he is one of the better cover corners in the NFL, and the Baltimore Ravens decided it was worth taking a gamble on him as the Cleveland Browns' division rival signed him to a one-year deal on Wednesday. The Ravens have a lot invested in their secondary, which now features four former first-round picks, including this year's first-round pick, safety Malachi Starks, Jaire Alexander, plus their 2017 first-rounder, Marlon Humphrey, and 2022's first-round pick, Kyle Hamilton.
There has been a lot of buzz throughout the offseason about the possibility that the Browns could trade their 2021 first-round pick, cornerback Greg Newsome II, although the team never did. The Ravens signed Alexander for the same reason the Browns have held onto Newsome: you can never have enough good cover corners in the NFL, especially in the AFC, with the gauntlet of quarterbacks you will face in the playoffs if you want to win a Super Bowl.
Alexander has dealt with injuries, but just like with Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome in Cleveland, his play when he is on the field is worth rolling the dice on, especially considering the one-year deal they signed him to is worth a maximum of $6 million. In 2023, when the Browns embarked on a magical run, aided by former Raven Joe Flacco, they won 11 games, in no small part due to having a fantastic pass rush and a great secondary to support them.
The Browns will need their defense to be great again this year if they are to bounce back after a dreadful three-win season last year. Even in the modern NFL, which has become more pass-heavy and focused on offense, the Browns in 2023 demonstrated that you can still win with a great defense and an offense that can do just enough to outscore the opponent.
Newsome and Martin Emerson Jr. have had some ups and downs in their careers, but having them on the roster, knowing they can perform at a high level, is critical to beating some of the high-powered offenses in the AFC, including the Ravens. The Browns will head to Baltimore to take on Alexander and his new team in Week 2 this year, after they open the season against another of their division rivals at home against the in-state Bengals on Sunday, September 7th.