Browns open to trade offers for veteran CB Joe Haden
— -- BEREA, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns are open to trade offers for cornerback Joe Haden, a league source confirmed to ESPN.
Haden's contract will not make a trade easy. He is due to be paid $11.1 million this season, and $11.2 million and $10.4 million in 2018 and '19. Any team that acquires Haden would have to accept those salaries for a corner who last went to the Pro Bowl in 2014.
CBS Sports was first to report a possible trade.
"This is the time of year where everything starts happening, things start getting said," Browns head coach Hue Jackson said Tuesday. "Obviously I don't know that [about a potential trade], but we'll deal with those things as we move forward."
Haden has fought through injuries in the two years since his last Pro Bowl appearance. He missed 11 games in 2015 with a finger injury and concussion and three last season, when he played through two groin issues that required postseason surgery.
Jackson emphasized that trades are the domain of Sashi Brown, the team's vice president of football operations.
"I trust Sashi and his group to make the right decisions," Jackson said. "Do I want Joe Haden on our football team? Yes. But like I said, whatever our organization thinks is best for our football team, that's what we'll do."
Haden, 28, was the Browns' first-round draft pick in 2010. Releasing Haden would cost the Browns $3.2 million in cap space this season and $3.2 million next season. He signed a five-year contract extension in May 2014.
His trade would leave Cleveland thin at corner. Jamar Taylor and Jason McCourty would figure to start, with Briean Boddy-Calhoun the third cornerback.
"I think [Haden] had a great training camp," Jackson said. "I think he's played well in our games. Again, he's a huge piece of what we do on defense and we'll just keep moving from there."
Also Tuesday, the Browns terminated the contract of defensive lineman Cam Johnson and waived defensive back Ed Reynolds II with an injury designation. Both players suffered knee injuries in camp.
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