The Browns believe the performance of cornerback Joe Haden didn't match his lucrative contract, so they cut the two-time Pro Bowl selection Wednesday morning.
An NFL source told the Beacon Journal the Browns had floated Haden's name to other teams in trade talks for a while. The organization also approached Haden about accepting a pay cut, but he declined. Unable to find a trade partner or work out a restructured deal, the Browns severed ties with Haden, who has been plagued by injuries the past two seasons.
"We want to thank Joe for all he has done for this organization both on and off the field," Browns head of football operations Sashi Brown said in a news release. "He has been a great teammate and a 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."
The Browns grew dissatisfied with Haden's play this summer and favored Jamar Taylor and Jason McCourty. Second-year player Briean Boddy-Calhoun is third in the cornerback pecking order.
CBS reported the Browns sought a fourth-round draft pick, which could have turned into a third rounder based on playing time, as trade compensation for Haden.
Haden, 28, had three seasons left on the five-year, $67.5 million contract extension he signed in May 2014. The deal included $45 million guaranteed but had only $4 million guaranteed left on it, an amount the Browns would have been willing to eat in a trade, according to CBS. The contract also contained offset language, so the Browns would be off the hook for the amount paid by Haden's new team.
Haden had been scheduled to make $11.1 million this year and next year as well as $10.4 million in 2019. His release leaves the Browns with a combined $10.9 million in dead money the next two years and saves them $6.7 million in salary-cap room this season, according to the contract website Spotrac.com.
Haden spent the past seven seasons with the Browns after they drafted him seventh overall in 2010 out of the University of Florida. He made the Pro Bowl in 2013 and 2014.
But he missed 11 games in 2015 with two concussions and other injuries, including one requiring ankle surgery during the 2016 offseason. Last year, he played nearly the entire season with groin injuries, missed three games and had offseason surgery on both groin muscles.
"Joe gave everything he had for the Cleveland Browns and that's all you can ask for as a coach," Browns coach Hue Jackson said in the release. "He was a leader on and off the field. I wish him all the best as he continues his career."
An NFL player personnel executive told the Beacon Journal on Tuesday it would be really hard for the Browns to trade Haden because of his contract and health concerns. His average annual salary of $13.5 million was tied for seventh among cornerbacks.
A captain and face of the franchise, Haden started 81 of the 90 games in which he appeared with the Browns and compiled 376 tackles, 101 passes defensed, 19 interceptions, four forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries. Last season, he tallied 48 tackles, 11 passes defensed and tied for a team-high three interceptions in 13 games.
Haden hails from Fort Washington, Md., but he fully embraced Cleveland, becoming a fixture at Cavaliers games and opening a shoe store downtown called the Restock. He hosted youth football camps in the area and donated to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. In 2015, he became the first professional football player to serve as a Special Olympics Global Ambassador.
"I would first like to take the time to thank the Browns fans all around the world from the bottom of my heart for making Cleveland a happy home for me the past 7 years," Haden wrote in a statement he posted on Instagram. "I want to also 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."
Joe Thomas, the Browns' 10-time Pro Bowl left tackle, directed the following tweet at Haden: "You will truly be missed my man! You were always the consummate teammate, professional and friend. I wish you much success in the future."
Although Haden's production has dipped in recent years as he dealt with injuries, the Browns easily could have afforded to keep him. Before the move, they had $55.5 million in cap space, according to the NFL Players Association. So Haden's release has raised some eyebrows.
"Are the Browns in the business of winning games or accumulating draft picks every year?" former Browns linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, who spent four seasons with Haden in Cleveland, wrote on Twitter. "I'm confused by the release of (Haden)."
The Browns will cut many more players in the coming days, though none will be as big a name as Haden. All NFL teams are required to trim their rosters from a maximum of 90 players to a maximum of 53 by 4 p.m. Saturday.
The Browns remain open to trading quarterback Brock Osweiler. They also have had offensive lineman Cameron Erving on the trading block since the draft in late April, a league source told the Beacon Journal.
Neither player should be ruled out as a potential cut casualty.
