Browns cut Joe Haden, trade Cameron Erving

The Cleveland Browns have cut former Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden as well traded former first rounder Cameron Erving to the Chiefs in exchange for a 2018 fifth-round pick.

Haden Cut

Rumor had it that Sashi Brown was shopping both of these players, but after no team showed interest in Haden the Browns simply cut him earlier Wednesday morning. Haden’s play declined for the past two seasons, and in the first three preseason games he was more of a liability in the secondary than the playmaker he once was.

“We want to thank Joe for all he has done for this organization both on and off the field. He has been a great teammate and a true asset to the Cleveland community. These are very difficult decisions, we have the utmost respect for Joe and in my eyes, he will always be a Cleveland Brown,” said Sashi Brown in a statement.

Haden is likely going to find another team to play for and fairly quickly at that. There are already rumors of the Pittsburgh Steelers showing interest in the veteran corner.

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Erving to the Chiefs

To call Cameron Erving a liability for the Browns would be a severe understatement. He was a terrible offensive lineman and was perpetually dominated by defenders, so the fact that the Browns managed to trade him for anything after having to cut Haden took many fans by surprise.

As of yet it is unknown what Erving’s role on the Chiefs will be, but the Browns are already moving on and looking ahead.

Lucky Number 13

With the Erving trade, the Browns now have 13 picks in the 2018 NFL Draft. Below is a tweet from NFL Research showing the number of picks in each round; this most recent trade adds a fifth round pick.

While it won’t be clear for a few seasons how much this trade ultimately benefits the Browns, it represents the changing culture in Cleveland–this is a team that’s building young and building for the future.