Browns Sign Former Dolphins Cornerback

Cornerback Nik Needham spent the opening six seasons of his NFL career with the Miami Dolphins and was a consistent starter earlier on in his pro tenure, but he hardly saw the field for Miami in his swan song with the team.

Needham appeared in just two of Miami’s 17 games in the 2024 season and logged zero starts.

Considering Needham spent the lion’s share of last season on the sidelines, it shouldn’t come as a shock that he has opted to sign with another NFL team in free agency. He and the Cleveland Browns agreed to a deal on Monday, although the terms of the contract have not been revealed.

Needham is probably hoping that he’ll receive more playing time in the 2025 season with a Browns team that had one of the worst defensive units in the entire league a season ago. Cleveland’s defense allowed a whopping 25.6 points per game, and only three teams in the league relinquished more points on a game-to-game basis.

The news of Needham’s decision to spurn the Dolphins for the Browns comes as star cornerback Jalen Ramsey‘s tenure in Miami is up in the air. The Dolphins are allegedly exploring trade options for Ramsey after he spent the 2023 and 2024 campaigns with the squad, and Ramsey has long been one of the premier cornerbacks in the league.

With Needham now with the Browns and Ramsey seemingly one foot out of Miami, perhaps the Dolphins will utilize one of their 10 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft on a promising young player at the cornerback position. The draft will kick off on Thursday, and Miami has one first-round pick at the No. 13 spot.

Hopefully, Needham has found a new long-term home with the Browns and will carve out an impressive stint with a Cleveland franchise that’s struggled in recent years.