Who Should I Start? Justin Hardee or Jaelon Darden

Tuesday, April 2, 4:30 PM

Free-agent cornerback and special teams ace Justin Hardee is signing with the Cleveland Browns, as reported by NFL insider Ian Rapoport. The 30-year-old was originally undrafted out of Illinois in the 2017 class and has appeared in 100 games through his first seven professional seasons. Hardee spent the first four seasons of his career with the New Orleans Saints before a three-year stint with the New York Jets. He earned Pro Bowl honors for his work on special teams in 2022, which is likely where the Browns are primarily interested in utilizing him. Hardee has racked up 78 tackles, one forced fumble, and one interception thus far in his career.

Saturday, September 7, 1:12 PM

The Cleveland Browns signed wide receiver Jaelon Darden to their active 53-man roster on Saturday and also elevated cornerback Mike Ford Jr. and offensive tackle Germain Ifedi to the active roster ahead of their Week 1 showdown in Cleveland against the Dallas Cowboys. The Browns released former third-rounder David Bell earlier this week, so the 25-year-old Darden will essentially replace him on Cleveland's roster as additional receiver depth behind Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore. Darden will be competing for playing time with Cedric Tillman and rookie Jamari Thrash and is off the fantasy radar everywhere for now. Darden was originally drafted in the fourth round in 2021 out of North Texas by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Last year in 16 games with the Browns, he only served as a kick returner on special teams and wasn't involved in the offense.