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 are all in for a Super Bowl run. Now or never boys.
Works for me. Let’s hope Haden can quickly pick up the defense!
Haden doesn’t bring them any closer to a SB.
Yes he does
UMMMMM lets see they desperately needed a Starting CB & Haden is one ??? Survey SAAAAAAAAAAYS you’re wrong
NO!! it’s because they realized SUCKrell & Gay are awful
I want to know if Philly offered a contract, and if they did what the amount was.
wanted to be a Steeler
Only concern I have is whether or not the Steelers can long term Tuitt and Bell. I’ll be interested to see the guarantees in this deal. May end up being a 1 yr deal. But if that comes with a Super Bowl, so be it. For that matter, a Super Bowl win probably means Big Ben retires and then all his cap space is available.
Bell has 2 years left on this team and then he will get his money somewhere else.
Overpay… beginning of their end
UMMMMMMMMMMMMM overpay 9 Million a Year for a good CB is overpaying ? the Steelers are running out Cockrell & Gay FFS
Good? He was 90th ranked CB out of 110 by PFF…he’s not good anymore..plus has missed 11 games in past 2yrs…broke down
Pro Football Focus Blows ass
|No Good Safety’s & Next to last in the NFL in sacks Last sespm
That would be an overpay. For the talent they’ll receive.
Hopefully their medical doctors are ready!
seems like someone has a Bad case of the Butthurts ?
LMAO. Funniest thing I’ve read all day and perhaps dumbest
May have read it wrong but it says 7 million guaranteed
So it’s basically a 1yr 7M dollar deal. With the only money guaranteed is the first year. But the other 2 years prolly 10M per if he is healthy and plays well. I will take a 7M gamble on 1 year.
No different than what they did last year with Green at TE.
and they didn’t give up a draft pick to try to improve their secondary as they did in years past, I like the signing
LETS GET IT!!!!!
Good sign for the Steelers where already going 13-3 this year
Two days I would have told you that the Steelers were pretenders. Huge holes at several key positions.
The upgrades at TE and CB move them into firm contender status.
If someone else can beat NE for Pittsburgh, Steelers are the favorites.
Exactly, they’re upgrading on both sides of the ball. The AFC is really between the Steelers and Pats, with Oakland as a dark horse.
The perfect scenario for the Steelers is Oakland beating the Pats setting up a Steelers-Raiders AFC title game.
In 2005, 2008 and 2010, someone else beat Brady for them. If it happens again, I don’t see how the Steelers don’t win.
Adding Haden to the opposite side of Cockrell Island gives the Steelers the best secondary in the league.
lol I’m a Steelers fan and know that’s bull. Cockrell has looked terrible and Burns would be the other starter