The Sudden Fate of Joe Haden
Poor Browns fans. Joe Haden was a rock for them for years, and give or take ten minutes after he gets released he ends up on probably the one team they wouldn’t be happy for him for.
Right now I think the Browns fans are going through the denial phase of the release, when they are mentally convincing themselves this is actually fine, Joe Haden was actually bad these past two years, and the Steelers woefully overpaid for him, hahaha, actually this is fine. It’s all fine. Everything will be fine. *Screams internally*
Do what you gotta do, Browns fans. Joe Haden is an instant upgrade on the Steelers secondary. He has indeed taken a rather large fall these past two seasons. He’s also been dealing with some injuries. If he stays healthy, I imagine he’ll be okay. At 3 years 27 Million it’s still pretty steep for an under-performer but he’s still kinda young and could still be good again. It’s going to be heartbreak watching Joe in the season opener right across from his former team.
I think it’s interesting that he was picked up so fast. The Browns were reportedly aggressively attempting to trade him. Other teams backed off because they probably saw through the plan and knew he’d just end up cut.
I’m pretty interested in what the Browns are up to. They name Kizer the starter (He will get his hydra head as soon he he physically starts the game, be patient), they trade away Cameron Erving for a low pick, and now have amassed all the picks. Like I stated with the Bills last week, the Browns clearly have a long term plan in mind, and it’s fun to watch the process. I can’t imagine it’s fun as a fan being in the cellar on purpose for the long game but Browns fans have been in the deep cellar so long that this feels like fresh air anyway. It least now it feels like the Browns have a plan other than “Hope our next high draft pick is THE GUY”.
Another interesting thing about Haden is that from what I hear, his contract with the Steelers is structured so that he gets $7 million for the first year, and the team gets a $10 million option for each of the two years afterwards. His original salary with the Browns was $11 million, and his release was the result of the Browns wanting to reduce his salary to, hear this, $7 million, but Haden refusing to do so, plus there being no replies to the Browns putting him on the trading block as Dave mentioned. Also the fact that reportedly, Haden agreed to the Steelers deal despite there being more lucrative offers from other teams.
Is… is Haden holding a grudge for his old team? After being so unceremoniously cast aside after all he’d done, is the reason behind his team choice just so he can stick it to the Browns twice a year?
In any case, the Steelers-Browns opening game just got a whole lot more interesting. Mmhmm.
Somewhat related, as this is the time when teams start cutting swathes off from their rosters: The Browns have cut the Brock Lobster. Apparently one extra roster spot is valuable enough to kick him off the team and just paying his salary for nothing. Mmmff. Saddest part is that Dave will never get to add his head to the QB hydra, something he said he was anticipating when he drew the comic about that trade. Oh well, maybe there could be a comic where Brock is so toxic that even the Browns QB cemetery rejects him, like ‘the other residents here don’t want ya’ or something.
Also somewhat related: Victor Cruz was cut from the Bears. Looks like there will be salsa no more. 🙁 By the way, will Aguayo survive on the Bears? That would mean he pushes Barth off the roster a second time…
Wait, never mind, Aguayo was just cut too.
Rumors say that Barth’s accuracy skyrocketed once Aguayo arrived. If true, lol.
Anyway, guess the change in scenery didn’t help Aguayo after all. Poor guy. The Bucs overdrafting him killed his career 🙁
Not Victor Cruz! Hopefully the Giants can make up something to get him back. I really want to see him retire in NY since it’s the team he’s quietly been on all these years. RIP Cruz 2011-14/2016-17
There’s two sides to this. There’s the logical, and the emotional. The emotional side of me hates this. Haden was good for a long time, and I’d love to see him retire in Cleveland.
The logical side doesn’t care at all. He got injured two years ago and never recovered. After having groin repair surgery, he was still struggling to cover anyone. Letting him go to Pittsburgh only means that CoCo will burn him in games instead of practices.
Besides, he’s old, often injured, not very good, and living purely on reputation anymore. He’s a perfect fit for the Steeler defense.
I don’t think 27 is old.
Any thoughts on the Sheldon Richardson trade? Or mostly just “wow, the Jets look like they’re really good at tanking” type thing.
Richardson was playing out of position behind two other young studs. Jets wanted rid of him because he wasn’t good for their scheme, and got a pretty alright trade for it.
I think it was a smart trade, not a tank move. Their QB situation is where they’re tanking.
He’s also a headache off the field so that factored in. He wasn’t in the Jets’ plans so they may as well get something out of him.
Assemble the Free Agent Coping Flow Chart!
At least the Browns have a metric fuck ton of draft picks to look forward to.
I wonder if they’ll get lucky with one or two picks.
that’s 0.8 Imperial Asstonnes.
Help me out please. What is the conversion from shit loads to metric fuck tons?
Hell yeah go Stilers
Brock Lobster has returned home to Denver! Wonder if he’ll be a backup for Siemian, or if this means Trevor’s going to the bench. And are we at a point where we can call Paxton Lynch a bust, or is that premature?
Paxton Lynch < Johnny Manziel.
Make of that what you will.
Manzel was good in college, Lynch was not. I knew Lynch would be a bust the second I saw him make Temple look like the 76 steelers
I’m looking forward to the Steelers having a more Steelery defense again.
The NFL’s new motto for 2020: “Starting our 2nd century of play with more tanking than the NBA”
How soon until Joe Thomas ends up as a Raven?
At least another season.
A rule saying you can’t play against a team that you used to play for would solve shit like this. I would love to see the shitstorm that would be caused by something like that.