By: Jake Rajala

The former shut-down cornerback in the NFL and AFC North, Joe Haden, officially announced his retirement today. Haden will retire as a Brown (where he played seven seasons with them), as ESPN reported. The Browns first-round pick in 2010 obtained numerous Pro Bowl berths with CLE. He finished with 19 career interceptions as a Brown.

In 2015, Haden was picked as the 23rd best player in the league.

In 2017, Haden fled to a different AFC North squad: Pittsburgh Steelers. He didn’t prove to be washed up with the Steelers – as he cracked a PB nod with them in 2019. Furthermore, he accumulated 10 picks, 54 pass deflections, and 238 combined tackles. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to win an elusive Super Bowl ring with the Browns or Steelers.

The ultimate question is: should Haden be inducted into the Browns ring of honor?

The post Joe Haden retires: reflecting on Jae Haden’s career appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been known for possessing a talented secondary in the Mike Tomlin era. They were fortunate to have Hall of Fame safety Troy Polamalu torment quarterbacks from 2003 to 2014. In 2021, they had Joe Haden and Minkah Fitzpatrick leading an impressive pass defense — as they ranked ninth in passing yards per game allowed last season.

The Steelers defense lost the veteran in Haden this off-season, but they still have Ahkello Witherspoon (3 ints and 9 pass deflections in 2021) and Levi Wallace (4 ints and 18 pass deflections over the past two seasons combined) at CB. Cameron Sutton (who recorded 2 interceptions and 52 combined tackles — which were both career-high statistics) is also expected to be a key contributor. Justin Layne is a potential cut candidate, so he will need to have a strong off-season.

The most important Steelers defensive back is Fitzpatrick — who recently signed a four-year contract extension worth $73 million dollars. Fitzpatrick wasn’t his typical ball-hawk self last season, but he did have a personal best 124 combined tackles. Per Steelers Depot, the Steelers safety reflected on his constant hitting last season, “This is probably like, not mentally, but physically, this is probably the toughest season that I had”. Hopefully, Fitzpatrick can save his body a bit more next, while having more play-making ability in the passing game.

The other Steelers safety Terrell Edmunds, who is a brother to Tremaine Edmunds, will look to build off his fourth season in the league (89 combined tackles, 8 TFLs, and 6 pass deflections). Edmunds returned to the Steelers on a one-year contract worth $2.7 million dollars. Outside of Devin Bush, Edmunds is the Steelers x-factor in my opinion.

The post Pittsburgh Steelers secondary outlook right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Casey Hayward-less pass defense in Las Vegas could surely benefit from more talent at their cornerback position. Rock Ya-Sin and Trayvon Mullen haven’t quite cemented themselves as consistent, starting CB options in Sin City. With that said, I’m going to simply untwine three CB targets (and likely upgrades) for the Raiders.

Joe Haden

It may seem like wishful thinking for any team to believe they can scoop up a talented free agent in June. Although, I believe the talented Raiders squad with a need for CB talent could join forces with Pro Bowl CB Joe Haden. The former Steelers CB has expressed that retirement isn’t on his mind. He could play with a defense that will have a terrific pass rush led by Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones while having a realistic opportunity to win a Super Bowl in the near future.

Xavier Rhodes

Xavier Rhodes can be the bully, man to man CB that the Raiders desire on the outside. Rhodes was a Top-10 CB per PFF in 2020 and I believe he still has some juice left. The former Vikings first-round pick is still 31 years old – which is the same age as Stephon Gilmore. His ability to blanket top-notch WRs (such as Deebo Samuel) at this stage in his career can nicely be seen below.

https://www.colts.com/video/highlight-xavier-rhodes-blankets-deebo-samuel-for-physical-int

Kevin King

The former Packers CB Kevin King, also known as the youngest CB on this list (27 years old), may be able to bounce back in LV. He recorded five interceptions in 2019, but it seems like he may be remembered better for getting torched by Scotty Miller in the NFC Championship. King may be able to prove his worth on a short-term deal behind a talented Raiders pass rush in 2022.

The post 3 CB targets for the Raiders right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Green Bay Packers need to have a strong playoff tour at all costs next season. With that said, I’m going to outline three dream targets available that would help the Packers and burning man Aaron Rodgers moving forward.

Deebo Samuel

Let’s be honest – Deebo Samuel is being held hostage in San Francisco/Alcatraz. I believe that Deebo Samuel will give his best foot forward, but I still expect him to lobby for a new, talented team. Samuel hasn’t discovered a new contract with a 49ers team that still carries Jimmy G. After the Eagles and Cardinals reeled in shiny toys, I’d love to see the Packers be aggressive and scoop up the gifted athlete.

Julio Jones

If the Packers can’t acquire Samuel or a young, talented WR via trade, the Packers should target a legend in free agency. The veteran WR Julio Jones may not drop 300+ yards in another game, but he can absolutely be a 1,000+ yard for A-Rod. Jones could have an excellent role in GB while having the opportunity to push for a Super Bowl ring. Maurice Moton of B/R believes that Jones is an ideal fit for the Pack at this point in time. Perhaps Jones and Rodgers can aspire to ride off in the sunset in the near future together.

Joe Haden

If the Packers stick with their guns at WR and feel more desperate to target a defensive player, they should write love notes to Joe Haden. The former Steeler would be a nice addition to a CB unit that didn’t bring back Kevin King this off-season. He has also expressed that he doesn’t want to retire soon. If Haden wants to stay in the North and chase a Lombardi trophy, he should head to Wisconsin.

The post 3 dream targets for the Packers right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Carolina Panthers should still be aggressive in an NFC South division that witnessed Tom Brady return to the Buccaneers and two Lousiana natives (Tyrann Mathieu, Jarvis Landry) join the Saints. With that said, I’m going to untwine three dream targets for the Panthers right now.

Jimmy Garoppolo

I would love to see the Panthers grab Jimmy G in June or July. He is a sure-fire upgrade over Matt Corral and “good” Sam Darnold. He has been utterly clutch in big moments and he can absolutely utilize CMAC, Robbie Anderson, and D.J. Moore on a high level. For example, below is an unearthly throw by Jimmy G against the Saints team that Panthers nation hates with a passion.

Joe Haden

The Panthers impressively acquired Stephon Gilmore in 2021 and I’d love to see them notch another top-tier CB in 2022. Joe Haden can be a physical, man-to-man CB against the likes of Mike Evans and Michael Thomas. The former AFC North CB has expressed that he isn’t interested in retiring soon, as well. Perhaps the Panthers and their second-ranked cap space in the league can out-bid other teams for Haden.

Anthony Barr

The Panthers lost the versatile Haason Reddick this off-season and it may be wise for CAR to sign the athletic freak Anthony Barr. The former Vikings LB doesn’t carry the same pass-rushing talent as Reddick, but he can still excel against the pass (3 ints in 11 games) and the run (72 combined tackles) last season. The four-time Pro Bowl selection would be perfect in pass coverage against Alvin Kamara and Kyle Pitts in the NFC South.

The post 3 dream targets for the Carolina Panthers right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Cincinnati Bengals are an AFC juggernaut with the fifth-most cap space in the NFL. Zac Taylor could utilize his creative juices in May by inking one of the shiny free agents available. The Bengals could still benefit from the arrival of a cornerback or even another underrated offensive weapon. With that said, I’m going to untwine a few FA profiles that would be superb fits for Cincy.

• Joe Haden

The Bengals young head coach shouldn’t let the Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel sign every quality FA on the planet or allow Joe Haden to reunite with the Browns. The Bengals might have an overly impressive WR trio (Ja’Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd, and Tee Higgins), but they ought to boost their pass defense. I firmly believe that Eli Apple is underrated (to say the least), but Haden would be an upgrade over Apple and a fine partner to Chidobe Awuzie, who was named to PFF’s All-Pro team.

• Akiem Hicks

The explosive big fella Akiem Hicks can terrorize opposing signal-callers next to Trey Hendrickson and B.J. Hill. Hicks is still a talented DL and he showed that in nine games last season (3.5 sacks and 9 QB hits). Hicks would really help the Bengals pass rush against Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and other top-notch AFC QBs.

• Ndamukong Suh

I believe the Bengals would make a lot of sense for the fearless defender Ndamukong Suh. The Super Bowl-winning DE/DT can have a strong chance to win his second SB ring with the Bengals. The former Lions DL that has only missed two games in his career would be more affordable than a FA like Jadeveon Clowney for the Bengals, too.

• Jimmy Graham

I will be honest – Jimmy Graham is a bit washed up. I still believe he can be a mismatch for opposing defenses and he could be a nice TE2 behind Hayden Hurst. The TE with 11 touchdowns in the past two seasons combined could be a sneaky weapon for Joe Burrow in big-time showdowns.

The post Remaining free agent targets for the Bengals appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Denver Broncos are rolling the dice with the new sheriff Russell Wilson in town. The Broncos have added Randy Gregory, D.J. Jones, and many other underrated profiles to help the Broncos win their first Super Bowl since 2016. I would love to see the Broncos keep the gas on the pedal in the Tyreek Hill-less AFC West.

With that said, I believe there are a few free agents that could help Denver compete in their frigid division.

• Phillip Lindsay

The Broncos could ink another weapon and RB partner for Javonte Williams in Phillip Lindsay. He would be cheaper than Gordon and he’s still a familiar face. Lindsay is coming off a down season on a Houston team that only had one more victory than the Jacksonville Jaguars. I believe the 27-year-old Lindsay still has that explosive ability and he would be a nice value pickup for DEN.

• Joe Haden

I would love to see Joe Haden chase a SB ring with the mighty Denver Broncos. Haden can nicely replace Kyle Fuller and be a physical CB against imposing weapons like Mike Williams, Kelce, and Waller. It may also seem like Haden could take less money at this stage in his career for the right location. The former AFC North CB had 7 ints from 2019 and 2020 combined.

• Sheldon Richardson

The former Jets first-round pick Sheldon Richardson would be a fine, versatile chess piece for the Broncos defense. Richardson can really win one on one battles and he would be perfect for the Broncos talented defense in non-blitzing situations. He registered 4.5 sacks in 2020 and 2.5 sacks in 2021. He also had 13 QB hits last season (personal best since 2018).

• A.J. McCarron

The Broncos recently signed a backup QB (Josh Johnson) in free agency, but I’d prefer them to sign a more talented QB2. I believe A.J. McCarron would be a fantastic backup QB and he would be able to utilize the fascinating WR trio in Denver better than Johnson in my opinion. The 33-year-old dual-threat QB Wilson missed three games last season and it’s possible that he suffers another minor injury in the gutsy wild AFC west division at some point in the future.

The post Remaining free agent targets for the Denver Broncos appeared first on Pro Football Mania.