Joe Haden - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Notes: Eagles, Haden, Cowboys

August 30th, 2017 at 6:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Despite earlier reports to the contrary, an Eagles source tells Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) that the team was not in on Joe Haden. The Eagles, the source claims, are content with their young cornerbacks.

It’s quite possible that the Eagles were interested in Haden but were not among the finalists for him, making this all a matter of semantics. In any case, the Eagles were unwilling to approach, match, or exceed the $7MM guarantee that Haden secured in his new three-year deal with the Steelers.

The Eagles will be starting a pair of 23-year-old corners in Jalen Mills and the newly-acquired Ronald Darby. Behind them, they have only one player outside of his 20s in veteran Patrick Robinson. Eventually, rookie Sidney Jones could join the active roster and provide help, but that doesn’t help to boost the group’s experience level.

Here’s more from the NFC:

Tests show that Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens, who suffered a tibial plateau fracture recently, suffered no ligament damage, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. That means that no surgery will be needed and that, in theory, could help to speed up recovery. In a press release, the Cowboys indicated that Hitchens likely will not go on IR. The latest projections have Hitchens missing total eight weeks of action.
Doctors say that Bears wide receiver Cameron Meredith only suffered ACL and MCL damage and did not injure any other major ligaments in his knee, Rapoport tweets. Meredith is done for the year, but he could be back in time for next year’s OTAs.
Now that the Packers have added Ahmad Brooks to the fold, they can be more patient with rookie Vince Biegel‘s recovery, Ryan Wood of the Press-Gazette tweets. A source tells Wood that he’ll “probably” start the season on the PUP list, meaning that he won’t count against the initial 53-man limit.
Former Saints defensive end Royce LaFrance signed with the CFL’s Roughriders, Nick Underhill of The Advocate tweets.

Steelers To Sign CB Joe Haden

August 30th, 2017 at 3:20pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Steelers are expected to sign cornerback Joe Haden to a three-year, $27MM deal that includes $7MM in 2017, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). That $7MM figure also represents the contract’s guarantee, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Haden will stay in the AFC North and land with Pittsburgh despite receiving larger offers from other clubs, tweets Schefter, who adds that Haden wanted to be a Steeler. A number of other teams, including the Dolphins, Eagles, Saints, Chiefs, Cowboys, and 49ers also expressed interest in Haden, but the Pittsburgh had been considered the favorite to ink the former Browns cornerback.

The Steelers ranked 12th in DVOA against the pass a season ago, but the club’s secondary was still missing a clear-cut No. 1 cornerback. It’s not clear that Haden fits that definition anymore, as he graded as the No. 88 corner among 110 qualifiers in 2016, per Pro Football Focus. Injuries were likely a factor in his decreased production, but health isn’t a guarantee for Haden, who’s missed 14 games over the past two seasons.

Before releasing him earlier today, Cleveland offered to reduce Haden’s pay from $11MM to $7MM, per Rapoport (Twitter link), and Haden will now earn that same total with the Steelers. Haden’s deal contained offset language, so the Browns are not on the hook for the $4MM in guaranteed base salary it owes to the 28-year-old cornerback.

Pittsburgh now boasts a relatively deep defensive backfield, as Haden joins a unit that also includes Ross Cockrell, Artie Burns, William Gay, Senquez Golson, Cameron Sutton, and Coty Sensabaugh.

Steelers To Host CB Joe Haden Tonight

August 30th, 2017 at 1:40pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Steelers are already considered the frontrunners for cornerback Joe Haden, and they’ll meet with the free agent himself tonight, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

Pittsburgh isn’t the only NFL club eyeing Haden, who was released by the Browns this morning, as the Chiefs, Saints, Eagles, 49ers, and Dolphins are also interested in adding the 28-year-old. Cleveland is already paying Haden a guaranteed $4MM for the 2017 season, meaning any that signs the veteran defensive back will only be responsible for the minimum. However, given the level of interest that Haden has already generated, it’s possible that he could garner a hefty deal. He’s reportedly open to both single-season and multi-year pacts.

The Steelers are currently slated to start Ross Cockrell and Artie Burns at cornerback, with William Gay, Senquez Golson, Cameron Sutton, Coty Sensabaugh, and others vying for time as depth options. That group is without a clear-cut No. 1 cornerback, although it’s not apparent that Haden fits that definition anymore, as he graded as the No. 88 corner among 110 qualifiers in 2016, per Pro Football Focus. And if Pittsburgh is looking for reliability, it may not get it with Haden, who’s missed 14 games over the past two seasons.

Technically, Haden can’t speak or meet with any other clubs until he’s officially released by the Browns at 4pm ET today.

Latest On Joe Haden

August 30th, 2017 at 12:19pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Before the Browns released cornerback Joe Haden on Wednesday, they were attempting to trade him for a fourth-round pick that could have become a third-rounder based on playing time, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports (Twitter links). The Browns were also willing to eat $4MM of Haden’s salary, but they were still unable to find a taker for the two-time Pro Bowler.

Now that Haden’s on the open market won’t cost a team draft-pick compensation to acquire, interest is pouring in for the 28-year-old. Twelve to 13 clubs are in on Haden, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com writes, and La Canfora adds that he’s likely to land somewhere within the next 24 hours. Along with the previously reported Steelers, Dolphins, Saints and Chiefs, the Eagles and 49ers are chasing Haden, who’s currently weighing offers for one year and multiple seasons, according to La Canfora.

Haden would be the third notable addition at corner in recent weeks for the Eagles, who picked up Ronald Darby in a trade with the Bills and Dexter McDougle in a deal with the Jets earlier this month. The team is still relatively thin at the position even with those two in the fold, though, especially after releasing Ron Brooks on Wednesday.

The 49ers are the only club in on Haden without a realistic playoff shot this season, and it seems unlikely Haden would sign with a non-contender after spending the first seven years of his career with bottom-feeding Cleveland. Indeed, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets that it would be shocking if Haden chose the Niners. Unsurprisingly, Haden would be far and away the most accomplished corner on a San Francisco team that has another ex-Brown, K’Waun Williams, as well as Dontae Johnson, Rashard Robinson and Keith Reaser among its top four options. Those CBs have combined for just 22 NFL starts, while Haden has 81 to his name.

Dolphins In On CB Joe Haden

August 30th, 2017 at 10:30am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Dolphins are the latest club to express interest in free agent cornerback Joe Haden, reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.

Miami has been researching Haden in recent days, but had no interest in trading for the former Browns defensive back, per Salguero. With fewer than $9MM in available cap space, the Dolphins are searching for a discount cornerback. Haden could fit that bill given that his contract with Cleveland has offset language, meaning Miami or another team could sign Haden for the minimum salary and force the Browns to foot the rest of the cost.

While that’s a viable option in theory, Haden has already drawn quite a bit of interest since being released this morning. The Cowboys, Chiefs, Saints, and Steelers have all been mentioned as possible landing spots for Haden, so the 28-year-old could potentially start a bidding war that drives up his price. Haden’s agent Drew Rosenhaus predicted his client will have a new contract by Thursday.

The Dolphins have already lost cornerback Tony Lippett for the season due to an Achilles injury, so the club is looking for depth in the secondary. Miami currently projects to start Byron Maxwell and Xavien Howard on the outside, although Maxwell is reportedly fighting off competition for free agent acquisition Alterraun Verner. Other corners on the Dolphins’ roster include third-round rookie Cordrea Tankersley, Bobby McCain, and Walt Aikens.

Haden isn’t the most reliable defender, as he’s missed 14 games over the past two seasons. But if healthy, there’s a chance he could rebound to his previous levels of production: from 2010-14, Haden was a solid starter, starting 63 games during that time. While Pro Football Focus has ranked Haden poorly over the past two years, the Dolphins don’t put much stock in PFF’s grades, per Salguero.

Steelers Favorites For CB Joe Haden

August 30th, 2017 at 10:06am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Steelers have emerged as a “possible contender” for free agent cornerback Joe Haden, whom the Browns released earlier today, according to Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com (Twitter link). In fact, Pittsburgh is considered the “favorite” to land Haden, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.

While Pittsburgh boasts a number of intriguing young options in their secondary, the club’s pass defense lacks a true No. 1 cornerback at present. Of course, it’s not apparent that Haden fits that definition anymore, as he graded as the No. 88 corner among 110 qualifiers in 2016, per Pro Football Focus. And if the Steelers are looking for reliability, they won’t get it with Haden, who’s missed 14 games over the past two seasons.

But the Steelers apparently believe Haden still has production left to over: per Kinkhabwala, Haden has number of advocates in Pittsburgh, including wide receiver Antonio Brown. Plus, Haden should come on the cheap, as he’s already guaranteed to earn $4MM from the Browns. Haden’s contract included offsets, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, so the Steelers (or any other club) will only be responsible for a minimum salary if they sign Haden for fewer than $4MM.

Pittsburgh is slated to start Ross Cockrell and Artie Burns at cornerback, with William Gay, Senquez Golson, Cameron Sutton, Coty Sensabaugh, and others vying for time as depth options.

Browns Release CB Joe Haden

August 30th, 2017 at 7:50am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Browns have released veteran cornerback Joe Haden, the club announced today. Cleveland had been “aggressively” shopping Haden as of yesterday, but evidently wasn’t able to find a taker.

Cleveland’s efforts to trade Haden didn’t start only recently, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who indicates the team had been marketing Haden for more than year. But the 28-year-old Haden’s contract likely proved a hindrance, as he’s due $11.1MM in 2017 base salary, a figure that includes $4MM in guarantees. That guarantee didn’t kick in until February, tweets Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap, so the Browns could have parted ways with Haden before that time and saved that total. However, the club presumably was willing to take the risk of eating that $4MM in the hopes of finding a trade partner.

An acquiring team would have also taken on Haden’s base salaries over the next two seasons: $11.1MM in 2018 and $10.4MM in 2019, though none of that money would have been guaranteed. Haden’s signing bonus proration will now accelerate onto the Browns’ salary cap over the next two campaigns, meaning the club will take on $7.2MM in dead money in 2017 and $3.6MM in 2018. Cleveland attempted to convince Haden to accept a pay cut before releasing him, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link), but Haden declined.

Haden’s performance probably wasn’t overly appealing to potential suitors, either, as he’d struggled with both injuries and ineffectiveness over the past several seasons. He missed 14 games from 2015-16, and ranked as just the No. 88 cornerback among 110 qualifiers last year, per Pro Football Focus. Among the 84 qualified cornerbacks in Football Outsiders’ data, Haden finished only 64th in yards allowed per pass (8.2).

The Browns will move forward with free agent acquisition Jason McCourty and 2016 waiver claim Briean Boddy-Calhoun as their starting corners, with Jamar Taylor in the slot. Fourth-round rookie Howard Wilson is also available for depth, while Haden’s release likely opened up a roster spot for a corner such as Trey Caldwell or Marcus Burley to earn space on the squad. Cleveland, which owns the NFL’s No. 1 waiver priority, may also be active in poaching players from other teams during roster cutdowns this weekend.

Haden, for his part, shouldn’t have any trouble finding a new team in relatively short order, and the Saints and Chiefs are among the clubs expected to have “strong interest” in him, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). New Orleans has inquired on Haden before, making a play for him prior to the 2016 trade deadline, but Cleveland’s asking price was reportedly too steep. The Cowboys, too, are eyeing Haden, but aren’t likely to get into a bidding war, per Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star Telegram (Twitter link). Haden’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told Schefter there is “tons of interest” in his client, and predicted Haden will have a new contract by Thursday (Twitter link).

Browns Aggressively Shopping Joe Haden

August 29th, 2017 at 9:15am CST by Zachary Links

Teams in need of a cornerback will want to answer the phone when they get calls from a Cleveland area code. The Browns are aggressively trying to trade Joe Haden, multiple teams tell Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). He adds that the Browns are “very motivated” to move his contract.

Haden is no stranger to trade rumors as the Browns explored moving him prior to last year’s trade deadline. The Saints were among the inquiring clubs, but the asking price was ultimately too rich for their blood.

Haden was limited to five games in 2015 but he gutted out a painful groin injury last year and appeared in 13 contests. The two-time Pro Bowler finished out with 48 tackles and three interceptions. For what it’s worth, the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus only ranked him as the No. 88 corner in the league last year out of 110 qualified players. In his best years, Haden profiled as a Top 10-20 CB.

Plenty of teams would be happy to acquire Haden and see what he can offer, but his contract will be a stumbling block in talks. The 28-year-old is due to make $11.1MM this season and is under contract through 2019.

AFC Notes: Texans, Bills, Pats, Browns

April 18th, 2017 at 7:31pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Texans hope to extend wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, and accomplishing that will likely require the club to give him a five-year deal worth upward of $70MM, including $40MM-plus in guarantees, observes CBS Sports’ Joel Corry (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). That type of pact would put Hopkins in the same company as fellow pass-catching stars such as Atlanta’s Julio Jones, Dallas’ Dez Bryant and Denver’s Demaryius Thomas. While an extension for Hopkins is expected, it’s not imminent, per Wilson. As of now, Hopkins is slated to make $7.915MM in 2017, his fifth-year option season.

Extra Points: Broncos, Jags, 49ers, Falcons

February 8th, 2017 at 9:01pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Broncos have been connected to quarterback Tony Romo, whom they could pursue in free agency if the Cowboys cut him, but head coach Vance Joseph insisted Tuesday that Denver’s 2017 starter is already on its roster. On whether he’s committed to Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch, Joseph said (via Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com): “Absolutely, I am. They’re both smart guys. Obviously different skill sets, but I’m committed to both of those kids. They’re good football players and we’ve got to build around those guys.” Joseph’s offensive coordinator, Mike McCoy, echoed his boss, saying he’s “happy with the guys we have.”

After the Broncos hired Joseph and McCoy last month, Mike Klis of 9News reported that the club would rather start Lynch than Siemian next season. As a first-round rookie last year, Lynch sat behind Siemian – who fared OK in his first season as a No. 1 – but did see action in three games and pick up two starts.