The Kansas City Chiefs are reportedly interested in bringing in cornerback Joe Haden once he hits free agency from the Cleveland Browns.
The Cleveland Browns are set to shake up the free agent market with the release of cornerback Joe Haden, once considered (and paid) like the best cornerback in football. Now the team has deemed his production hasn’t matched the paychecks they’re cutting, and word is that he will be released on Wednesday. Two teams in the hunt for Haden once he’s free, per Adam Schefter, are the Kansas City Chiefs and the New Orleans Saints.
Two teams expected to have strong interest in Joe Haden are the Saints and Chiefs.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 30, 2017
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Haden will be able to pick his first home outside of Cleveland since he first entered the NFL at the age of 21. The Browns will one day undoubtedly honor Haden as a franchise great given his prime years as a cornerback for a team that rarely won games during his tenure, a bright spot in a dark time, so to speak. However, as the Browns turn the corner and allow the youth movement to fully take over, Haden has been deemed expendable.
Haden has 19 career interceptions in 90 career games for the Browns. He’s had some health issues over the years, but he’s still only 28 and should now be motivated to show his former team what he’s capable of. It’s an interesting release for the Browns because Haden can serve as an incredible mentor for a young secondary. It’s also not as if they don’t have the cap space to swallow what’s left on his 5-year, $67 million contract.
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For the Kansas City Chiefs, the addition of Haden could solve any and all question about who starts opposite Marcus Peters. Terrance Mitchell, Philip Gaines and Steven Nelson have all tried to solve that issue, but a signing of Haden would put Nelson firmly in the slot and create an overflow of talent with a trade likely coming for one of the aforementioned others to a cornerback needy team.