Browns: Joe Haden Instagram hints at interest in return to Cleveland

Former Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden took to Instagram this afternoon to hint that he may be interested in returning to his old team.

The Cleveland Browns have had a very interesting offseason so far. They seemingly solved their offensive woes by trading for star quarterback Deshaun Watson, but his status will remain up in the air until the NFL concludes its investigation into the myriad of sexual assault allegations he has dealt with over the past year.

The Browns offense could be great, but there’s also a chance that Watson will get suspended for most or all of the 2022 season. If that’s the case, Cleveland’s defense is going to have to step up and try to hold down the fort while he’s out.

The good news is that Cleveland looks like they may have one of the best defenses in the league. They have a venomous pass rush led by Myles Garrett, and a lockdown secondary that is going to be tough to pick apart on a weekly basis. In fact, it looks like one of their former cornerbacks, Joe Haden, is interested in joining Cleveland’s defense for the upcoming season.

Joe Haden hints at potential interest in rejoining the Cleveland Browns

The Browns secondary is pretty good as is, but you can never have too much help when it comes to defending against the pass. Haden is a veteran corner who spent his first seven seasons as part of Cleveland’s secondary, and he may be looking to close out his career where it first started. Haden posted a picture of himself during his Cleveland days on Instagram earlier today, leading many to believe he’s looking to return to the Browns.

Haden is not the All-Pro corner he once was, but he would fit in on pretty much any secondary in the league. He was a Pro-Bowl caliber player with the Pittsburgh Steelers as recently as 2019, and while he has struggled with injuries over the past two seasons, he’s generally been reliable in coverage when he has suited up.

The problem for Haden wanting to potentially return to Cleveland is that there simply may not be any room for him on the depth chart. Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome II are going to be the top two corners heading into the season, with Greedy Williams filling in as the third corner. The only route for Haden would potentially be as a slot cornerback, which is an area he hasn’t really played throughout his career.

Haden still figures to be a reliable cornerback, and it would be nice to see him return to where he began his career, but chances are it isn’t a feasible option for Cleveland. They could bring him in on a cheap one year prove it deal, but if there isn’t a spot on the roster for him, what’s the point? Haden’s potential return to Cleveland is certainly interesting, but it doesn’t feel very likely at this point in time.