CB Joe Haden Will Not Hold Out – Or Will He?

Earlier this month, rookie cornerback Joe Haden’s agent, Malik Shareef, explained that his client had no intentions of holding out. It was – and, for all intents and purposes, still is – his desire to make it to training camp on time without the mess that a holdout can sometimes create.

This, however, is something fans hear every year. Of course every player wants to be in camp on time, but every player also wants to get paid. Like every top-ten draft pick, Haden and his agent will look at a number of factors, including what players in his position (seventh overall) and at his position on the field have received in the past and what the other draft picks are signing for.

If outrageous deals start to take shape and the money begins climbing upwards, it seems that a holdout for Haden will be likely, as the Browns do not appear to be an organization to simply concede a boatload of cash to a player just for the sake of doing so. Like every team, though, the Browns will eventually overspend on a player who has never played one down in the NFL, but it will most likely also end in Haden taking a little less to get to training camp faster.

No matter what any player says, the current business being conducted by the NFL will always dictate the contract negotiations, and that will be no different for Haden. Browns fans just have to hope that Haden really does want to be in camp as soon as possible.