Cornerback Joe Haden has had a good career with the Cleveland Browns. He has made it to two Pro Bowls, in addition to being a first-team All-Pro one year. That said, he has not lived up to his five-year, $68 million contract extension that he signed in 2014. The 27-year-old corner has been frequently injured since signing that deal, and for him to be with the team through 2019, he needs to play better. Injuries in the NFL are no joke, but when one of your most highly-paid players is consistently missing time, it begs one to question if Haden should move to safety, as many veteran corners do at a crossroads in their career.

2016 has maybe been the worst of his tenure in Cleveland. Over the course of these two injury-riddled seasons, the Browns have been better with him out of the lineup. For his past pedigree as being a shutdown corner, there has not been help for Haden, and he’s been getting torched by opposing wide receivers of all kinds. I don’t know if Haden’s talent isn’t what it used to be or if his safeties have been nonexistent. I would put my money on it being a combination of both, so why not move him to free safety for the last few games to see if that revitalize his career?

Former Oakland Raider and Green Bay Packer Charles Woodson became a dynamic safety in the second half of his time in the NFL. I’m not saying Haden’s skill is identical to Woodson’s, but his career statistics are similar at this point to Woodson’s first six seasons. Haden could cover some players in the slot and fly around the back end to help out this young group of corners. He has always had great hands and reads opposing quarterbacks well.

The problem has mainly been in man coverage against speedy wideouts, so the Browns should experiment with moving him into a centerfield role in which he could play more zone. He also is a great tackler who fills with conviction against the run. This move should happen sooner than later in my opinion, so why not start against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

God knows that the speed of Bills wideout Sammy Watkins could spell doom for Haden anyhow. Why not try to resurrect the productivity of one of your leaders on the squad? Make the proactive decision now Browns.

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