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Cleveland Browns: Is Joe Haden on the trading block?

By Steven Kubitza

Sep 18, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden (23) against the Baltimore Ravens during the second half at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Ravens defeated the Browns 25-20. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 18, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden (23) against the Baltimore Ravens during the second half at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Ravens defeated the Browns 25-20. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports /
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After missing yet another game due to injury, the Cleveland Browns may be looking to trade Joe Haden before the upcoming trade deadline.

The NFL season is not often filled with notable in-season trades, but with an 0-7 record, the Cleveland Browns may be a team looking to make a few before the deadline passes this weekend.

Hue Jackson has already come out and denied rumors of Joe Thomas being traded, but there are still other valuable players on the team who could fetch more draft picks, which seems to be the goal of this front office.

Joe Haden is a player whose name often comes up in trade rumors, and it does once again after the disastrous start to the season.

While Haden’s name alone can draw interest from other teams, his value has gone down a bit over the last season. After an injury-riddled 2015, the former Pro Bowl cornerback has only played in four games this season. He had two interceptions in a Week 2 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, but aside from that game he has been quiet.

It seems to be more newsworthy when Haden isn’t actually on the field, as opposed to when he suits up.

These injury problems make trading Haden that much harder, along with the fact he is currently in the midst of a 5-year, $67.5 million deal that has him under contract through 2019. A team devoting over $10 million a season to a corner is going to want him healthy for all 16 games, and Haden cannot offer that right now.

These problems thus make it unlikely Haden will indeed be traded before this weekend’s deadline, but his name will come up again in the offseason. If he can finish 2016 healthy and get even close to the level he was at in 2014, he will be able to fetch some higher draft picks in return.

Trading away Haden is not something Browns fans like to hear, as the man has become a fan favorite since the day he was drafted. He is a visible figure in the community and a supporter of Cleveland in general, but football is a business and this front office has shown that even the biggest names on the team may be moved on from in favor of younger talent.

Next: Hogan at top of latest depth chart

So the frustration of another roster purge will be staved off for now, but fans may be in another rough offseason. Not that the actual season has been any better.

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