Haden Says Goodbye to Browns, Hello to Steelers

Berea— Earlier on Wednesday, the Cleveland Browns terminated the contract of seven-year veteran and two-time pro bowler Joe Haden. The move saved the Browns $7 million, leaving them to pay just $4 million of the $11.1 million he was owed for the 2017 season. Of course they would only owe that money if Haden signs a deal for less with another team.

Enter the Pittsburgh Steelers who signed Haden to a three-year, $27 million contract just after 4 p.m. eastern time on Wednesday. The deal is basically a one-year deal worth $7 million that allows the former first round pick to play with a winning team for roughly the same he would’ve been paid to play for the rebuilding Browns.

Haden, who three years ago may have been the best cornerback in the league, has dealt with a number of injuries that have slowed him down. The injuries to his groin and legs have restricted his change of direction ability and forced him to change the way he plays. If he can get his mind and body right, a big if, he can be a huge addition for the Browns AFC North rival.

In a statement, Browns Executive Vice President of Football Operations, Sashi Brown said,

We want to thank Joe for all he has done for this organization both on and off the field. He has been a great teammate and true asset to the Cleveland community.

These are very difficult decisions, we have the utmost respect for Joe, and in my eyes, he will always be a Cleveland Brown.

Haden added a statement on his Instagram account, stating,

I’d first like to take the time to thank Browns fans all around the world from the bottom of my heart for making Cleveland a happy home for the past seven years. I want to thank my coaches, the organization, and especially my teammates who have become family.

My god doesn’t make mistakes and I know the future is bright.

Good luck Joe. It’s been a pleasure.

For more of my thoughts, check out the video below where I discuss Haden, Cam Erving whom the Browns dealt to Kansas City for fifth-round pick, Chicago, and Cody Kessler.

 

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s