After being released by the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday, Joe Haden needs to be the top priority for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
There’s no time to waste. The Steelers have a clear weak spot in their secondary and it 100% revolves around their second corner. Unless they’d rather Ross Cockrell or Coty Sensabaugh over a Pro Bowl caliber defender, Pittsburgh should already be reaching out to Haden.
Yes, there are injuries. Missing most of 2015 with a finger injury and three games last season because of a groin problem that required offseason surgery. But at 28-years-old, Haden is still a player worth investing in.
The best part of this move would be that Haden isn’t a No. 1 corner right now. He’s a definite asset to any defensive backfield but won’t take away from the spotlight of Artie Burns. Plus, with a reliable corner opposite of Burns, safeties Mike Mitchell and Sean Davis won’t need to worry about defending two positions this season.
The second Haden was released every member of the Steelers’ front office’s eyes should’ve lit up. He’s a player who was on a $11.1 million contract this season, but after two years of injuries isn’t looking for that much money.
With the Steelers having just under $9 million to work with, they could offer Haden a decent contract on a team contending for a Super Bowl. Maybe the cornerback isn’t looking for rings as much as pay, but if he’s thinking of winning a few playoff games before the end of his career, Pittsburgh is definitely his best option.
The Steelers are one solid corner away from being an elite defense once again. No one believed someone of Haden’s caliber would be available this close to the regular season, but here he is, and the Steelers need to take advantage.
This team has made the moves necessary to compete for a Super Bowl, now. After putting in all this work, it doesn’t make sense not to finish the job and add that last defender to round out this defense.
Pittsburgh hasn’t made any noise about approaching Haden, yet. But with Cockrell quickly losing the coaching staff’s faith, don’t be surprised if the Steelers try to make Haden their newest addition.
Next: Analyzing the Steelers secondary in 2017
He hasn’t even cleared waiver yet, but Joe Haden needs to be Pittsburgh’s top priority. If not, they’re missing out on a great opportunity to finish this defense.