Is Joe Haden Nearing the End of the Line with the Cleveland Browns?

Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden doesn't look on track to play against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, as he remains in the league's concussion protocol and has not practiced yet this week. So far, he's missed four games this season: first with an injured finger and ribs, then because of two separate concussions.

When he has played this year, Haden has looked like a shell of his former self. Though only 26 years old and in his sixth year with the Browns, he's no longer the shutdown corner he once was.

He's allowed 24 catches on 31 targets for 387 yards, 120 yards after the catch and four touchdowns, according to Pro Football Focus. He has no interceptions, three passes defensed and 22 combined tackles on the year. Quarterbacks throwing his way have a 158.2 passer rating. As such, he ranks 105th among the 111 cornerbacks rated by Pro Football Focus this year. In 2014, he was 29th out of 108.

Games	Tgts.	Rec.	Rec.%	Yds.	YAC	TD	INT	PD	QBR
5	31	24	77.4%	387	120	4	0	3	158.2

For the player with the highest salary-cap hit on the Browns' roster this year—$11.7 million—he's certainly not justifying his salary. And with Pierre Desir, Justin Gilbert, Charles Gaines and Johnson Bademosi capable of replacing Haden when he's injured, there's a chance Haden will be outshined by one of his replacements and not see as much on-field time when he's cleared from his latest concussion.

Cleveland's once-vaunted secondary has not been playing up to its potential this season, and a big reason for that has been Haden. It's possible that 2015 could be Haden's last year in Cleveland if he cannot turn his performance around.

Teams, including the Browns, aren't going to honor high-paying contracts to players who are no longer earning them, and there's no reason for the team to pay Haden a $10.1 million 2016 base salary (and $13.5 million total cap hit) to sit on the bench.

Normally, a cap hit like that would deter a team from releasing a player like Haden. But luckily for the Browns, they built in an escape plan to Haden's 2014 contract extension: Haden's 2016 salary is guaranteed only for injury.

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

If Haden does not suffer a season-ending injury—as in, being placed on injured reserve because of his multiple concussions—then Cleveland's dead-money charge becomes a more manageable $9.6 million, rather than the $21.2 million it would have cost the team to cut him during the summer. 

That's not a small sum, to be sure, but with the Browns having so much salary-cap room to work with presently and even more projected to be in the coffers next year, Haden's dead-money charge is one the Browns can stomach in ways many other teams cannot. It's also a one-time charge.

Otherwise, the Browns could convince Haden to not only accept a demotion on the depth chart but also a pay cut—something he may not be open to do. A willing trade partner could also be found, but given Haden's injuries so far this season and the amount he'd be paid, that is looking like an ever-increasingly less likely option.

Regardless of what the Browns decide to do with Haden's contract in the offseason, there's no denying he's not the player he once was. Cleveland's defense has been a problem for some time, particularly when it comes to stopping the run. Add in the woes they've had against the pass this year, and the defense as a whole is now a weakness, rather than just one aspect of it.

For so long, Haden has made Cleveland's defense better. Now, he makes it worse when he plays. And with so many young cornerbacks on the roster, many of them promising, Haden can be deemed expendable if the Browns believe this is now the lay of the land with Haden and not a one-year anomaly. 

The Browns need to do whatever it takes to get better as a team. That means making difficult decisions about players like Haden who are not living up to expectations. In a "what-have-you-done-for-me-lately" league, Haden's performances "lately" have not been good. And unless it turns around, his poor 2015 could cost him his roster spot in 2016.