Heading into the final preseason game against the Patriots, and the initial 53-man roster date quickly approaching, the Browns began their process to reduce their roster as they waived Cedric Tillman.

Then, following the 37-17 win over the Patriots, the Browns had more decisions to make in the wide receiver room. They waived Ben Patterson, Luke Floriea, Gage Larvadain and Kole Wilson as they worked to find their final group of receivers.

"Cutdown day is difficult for all of us," Monken said. "Ultimately for the players in terms of not making our 53, possibly on our practice squad, but for the coaches as well because your players have given you everything you could ask for over the last six months. So definitely a difficult day."

For the Browns' front office and Monken, the first five receivers were solidified. Their rookie receivers in Boston and Concepcion demonstrated throughout training camp and the preseason their understanding of their alignments, assignments and technique, as well as how they could make contested catches. They anchored the room with two veterans in Jeudy and Wallace, with Jeudy as a true route-runner and Wallace as a versatile receiver. They have depth in Bond, who also brings versatility and speed to the room.

But as they evaluated their options for a sixth receiver, the final spot came down to adding value on special teams.

Over the course of training camp and the preseason, Corley repeatedly demonstrated his ability to be a returner. In the second preseason game against the Bills, Corley recorded a 31-yard kickoff return. Then in the third preseason game, Corley returned three kickoffs for 77 yards – including a 29-yard return – and made a tackle in kickoff coverage.

Special teams coordinator Byron Storer saw how Corley worked diligently to improve his game each day in practice and was receptive to any coaching he received while working on special teams. Storer first began working with the receivers in the spring to evaluate who had return ability – whether punt return or kick return. They also assessed who could cover kicks. As the offseason program went on, Storer said they found two players in Corley and Wallace who excel in coverage and returning.

Corley's positive attitude and work ethic earned him opportunities in games to showcase his ability to contribute – and led to results that Storer could bring to Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager Andrew Berry and Monken about what Corley could bring to the roster, particularly on special teams.

"As a kick returner, Malachi is fearless. He's tough. And in the new kickoff rules, you have to have yard after contact ability. So, the way that he hits, he's very coachable and he's able to gain yards after contact," Storer said. "He brings energy, effort, hard work, just the mentality. He actually really embodies the culture we're trying to create here on special teams. But in terms of his play on the field, he can cover kicks and he can kick return at a high level. So that's the value he brings to us on special teams."

For Corley, contributing on special teams carries as much importance as contributing to the offense.

"My goal is to be an all-pro special teamer. I feel like I'm that person that you need a job to get done, you send me for it," Corley said. "It's important for me to contribute on special teams and have that dawg role just because I feel like, your greatest players, there's no job too little for them. I feel like the more that I'm able to maximize in small things, more greater opportunities will be given to me, and ultimately, I look at it like somebody's gotta do it."

As Corley sat in his living room with his brother, Micah, nearby, he received a phone call from Jones.

"Congratulations my boy, really happy for you. You've earned it," Jones said to Corley. "You deserve it. You kicked ass on special teams, and you've been kicking ass in the room. I'm excited to have you and can't wait to go, man. You're going to be that dawg for us; we need you out there. I can't wait, let's go get a f***ing dub. Let's go get a dub Week 1 and do our f***ing job. I'm excited for you."

For Corley, making the Browns' 53-man roster was the culmination of his continued dedication and work to earn a roster spot on an NFL team.

After being drafted by the Jets with the 65^th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and playing one season in New York, he was cut during roster cuts ahead of the 2025 season. Corley then joined the Browns during the 2025 season after he originally was signed to the practice squad in August. He was later signed to the active roster from the practice squad on Sept. 30 and appeared in 13 games with five starts during the 2025 season. He recorded 11 receptions for 79 receiving yards and 13 carries for 127 rushing yards.

After getting off the phone with Jones, Corley called his mother to share the news he made the 53-man roster.

"To get that call from CJ and to just experience being told that I'm making the NFL team for the second time for myself, it was an unbelievable feeling," Corley said. "It was an extreme sigh of relief, not only for my family but for myself, just to be able to know that all the work that I put in from the beginning of the offseason back in February all the way until now has come to fruition. And for people to ultimately see the gift that has been put on my shoulders, for them to believe in my ability and the things that I can offer for this team, it's nothing but a blessing and something to be grateful for."

After experiencing the highs and lows of the NFL early in his career, Corley knew in order to make the Browns' roster this season, he would have find a way to excel on the field. Once he saw Cleveland select Concepcion in the first round and Boston in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, he understood he would have to shift his focus just from succeeding in jet sweeps and kick returns so he could make the team.

"I immediately flipped my mind, like two days after the draft to, 'If I'm going to make this team, it's going to be on special teams,'" Corley said. "We got to narrow our mind and get tunnel vision and know that we got to go balls to the wall as hard as we can in the special teams format. And for me, I'm one of those people that whatever I'm given, I'll try to do the most with."

So, he utilized the offseason to learn the new playbook under Monken, in which he took notes on the offensive scheme, as well as special teams, to help digest the information. He then held his own walk-throughs with his brother, where he would call out the plays and Corley would jog out to his spot to help him visualize the play. Corley said he also focused on being more intentional and more diligent in all of the details, in order to execute his specific role.

When Corley returned to CrossCountry Mortgage Campus for the offseason program, he wanted to show the coaching staff that his tape spoke for itself.

"I'm that person who's running around and getting up and bear crawling and screaming and barking on the field," Corley said. "Like that's the type of person that I am, and ultimately just to show that. They give me opportunities to play X and Z and be on the outside, so to show them that I'm more than a slot receiver, more than a jet sweep guy, more than special teams, that I can line up at X and be on the outside and, be able to win and showcase my ability to run routes and create separation outside of what I can do with the ball."

That early work to prepare for the offseason program set him up for success as training camp progressed. Corley said the joint practice with the Bills provided him the chance to show not only his passion and fearlessness, but also his ability to find the end zone. Corley caught a deep pass over the middle, turned and ran down the field, pushing one Bills' defender into the end zone with him for the touchdown in an 11-on-11 period. Corley also recorded two receptions for 27 yards in the second preseason game against the Bills.

Jones saw daily improvement throughout training camp and the preseason in Corley's level of detail in the offense and in the game. He saw how if Corley made a mistake, he didn't make the same mistake twice – which allowed Corley to demonstrate his skillset out on the field. Jones also noted how Corley played with a toughness and grit, both on offense and while on special teams, as he made catches when needed and played with a high level of physicality in his execution.

"The last stretch of training camp and the preseason kind of was when Malachi started showing up and really kind of showcasing what he could do," Jones said. "I mean he had a really good practice against the Bills, played well when he played in the game against them and even this last game, he went out there and just really played free, didn't make many mistakes. And that was one thing his mistakes just kept going down, down and down, and he kept playing faster and faster, and I think that's something that really showed up."

His work throughout the offseason and training camp paid off, earning him the sixth receiver spot and a chance to contribute on special teams as a returner.

"What stood out with Malachi is his team mentality," Monken said. "He understood – 'just put me in coach, I'll play X, I'll play Z, I'll play F. I'll do anything on special teams.' A guy that loves football and you can see it every day on the practice field."

Now that the roster is set and the makeup of the receiving corps is in place, the Browns turn their attention to the regular season. Monken believes their group of receivers has the capability to positively impact the success of the offense.

"Nothing threatens a defensive coordinator more than guys that can really get down the field and be explosive and change the game," Monken said. "And I think by adding the two younger players that we drafted, obviously IB (Isaiah Bond) being in his second year, Jerry (Jeudy), we know can be explosive. It certainly adds another dynamic to what defensive coordinators have to be ready for and prepare for."

For Jones, the contributions of his group come down to their execution in the run game and the pass game. The attention to detail in their route running or in blocking all add up to the overall success of the play.

Cleveland kicks off the season in Jacksonville in Week 1 on Sept. 13 and will play two consecutive road games before returning home for the home opener on Sept. 27 against the Panthers. They have about a week and a half until they face the Jaguars – valuable time that Jones said they can use to prepare players for the regular season.

"What I'm looking forward to doing is just really nailing down the foundation and really nailing down our level of detail," Jones said. "How detailed can we be when we're tired? How detailed can we be when we're hot? How detailed can we be when we come back from like a couple of days off? Am I locked down on everything I'm supposed to be doing? Am I ready to go when we go to these walkthroughs in practice? Do I know what I'm going to be facing week one, then week two, then week three? What's my routine for getting ready for the week? What's my routine for getting ready for the game? Do I have everything nailed down detail wise? Can I go out there and know exactly what I'm doing on that play, exactly what I need to expect from the defense, and then make the play happen? So that's what I'm really trying to look forward to doing during this week and the next week."