I love this guy, and I think he means a lot to our city and team. I truly hope he heals quickly and comes back with a vengeance.

@calfoxwc said:

God bless ya!

Mike Hicuppsies

*********************************************

Mike Hiccupsies wants to talk trashies again?

http://www.news-herald.com/article/HR/20150606/NEWS/150609587

Whatever the case, Haden called last month and Green quickly said, “I’ll be there” when Haden invited him to play in the second annual Joe Haden and Friends Celebrity Softball Game.

“It’s always good to support my boy Joe and help him with his cause, and get out here and have fun with some of the best players in the world,” Green said before the game began as he and the other players from around the NFL milled around in right field chatting with fans. “I’ve gone against Joe since my freshman year in college (at Georgia). It’s always been a tough match.

“He’s one of the best I’ve ever gone against. It’s always fun to go against him because I always have to work.”

Haden was a rookie first-round draft pick in 2010. Green was a rookie first-round pick in 2011 — the same year the Bengals drafted quarterback Andy Dalton in the second round.

The Bengals have made the playoffs all four years Green and Dalton have been in Cincinnati, although they have never advanced past the first round. Their success, though, has not been at the expense of Haden.

Green got the best of Haden in 2011, but for the last three years it has been advantage Haden every time. And when they meet five months from now in Paul Brown Stadium, Haden will do his best to extend the streak. He is grateful Green played in the softball game, but all “thank yous” were fulfilled Saturday night.

“That’s so cool I was able to hit him up and he just came with no questions asked,” Haden said. “It just shows that it’s still a fraternity at the end of the day once you get off the field.

“When I get back on the field, I’m going to try to lock him up and he’s going to try to maul me. That’s our job. I’m not going to go easy on him for this. I know he’s not going to go easy on me.”

here's 2014

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2014/11/cleveland_browns_cb_joe_haden_17.html

AJ Green knows better, obviously, and KNOWS what he's

TALKING ABOUT.

Your Honor, I move that Mike H.'s dumb case be dismissed.

@mike-h said:

Okay Mary Kay but we're not on "The View" sipping tea with Whoopi's Goldbergs...

@tiamat63 said:

Very good point! I'm hoping we don't need to do this yet because I love how instinctive he is at playing corner. IMO, the 2015 season was a product of nagging injuries snowballing on him coupled with the reality RBs were turning our corners without contain with full heads of steam on our secondary that was coincidentally ravaged by concussions in 2015.

Aside from his talent in coverage, Joe has ALWAYS been a great tackler in space with a willingness to come off his man to tackle a big TE breaking free or another WR crossing thirds. There's always going to be a forgettable day for a great corner just ask Patrick Peterson about the day he had covering Julio Jones a year or 2 ago. OR, how about when Antoine Winfield had to cover Plex Burress the day Ohio State fell asleep at the wheel on a big lead vrs Michigan State and kissed their National Championship hopes good night. I'm bringing this up because I know someone that finally wants to be right about Haden can't wait to remind us about opening day vrs Brandon Marshall in 2015. Marshall did that almost every week to corners with his size and wing span advantage as well as made himself one of the toughest WRs in this league to tackle after the catch. The film doesn't lie.

My only worry with Haden is once you start getting dome injuries - they tend to increase in frequency. Anyone remember what happened to Evan Moore after he got a huge salary increase before training camp? He got so many concussions he turned into a porcelain doll and rarely played the year of the big contract. One guy used to call him Evan Moorcelain. If anyone understands this game, they don't question Joe Haden at all.

@tiamat63 said:

and that is very cool an idea - Joe is physical enough... nice job.

@tour2ma said:

Well. Yes. Eventually Haden...and every player will become unable, ill suited to do their job. Right now, with Haden, I think it is a wait and see. He has had injuries that have hampered his effectiveness. If he comes back healthy and it appears that he has lost a step or so, then we can judge. Sometimes good CBs who have lost a step can stilll get the job done through guile, intellect. Some don't. We shall have to see about him. How old is he, and how long has he been in the league. Ordinarily I would say that neither figure should bring an expectation of "losing it." But it can and does happen.....but I, again, think we must wait and see.

@baconhound said:

I agree you can't really grade any of the db's well when the D allows 5-7 seconds per play for QB's to sit there and pick apart the D backfield. We rarely pressure anyone.

Our defense is short on stars, and we NEED him to come back at a high level. We obviously can't depend on Justin Gilbert, although I have to admit I'm starting to regain some optimism with him.

@mike-h said:

Haden gets a lot of credit around here and is mentioned a bit in the media because he was the biggest deal on the worst team. For me you can evaluate a veteran player by envisioning another NFL team paying him his current salary if he were a free agent. No team in the NFL would sign Joe Haden today to his previous deal.

@mike-h said:

He was one of the best DBs out there. He may not be now, but he was. And he was hurt. We shall see how does this year.

You are being a bit trashy for trashing Joe here in the offseason. Wait until about December 1, then come back with your reevaluation.

The hype and laziness, along with Joe's public love for Cleveland, made him a superstar that he never was.

Not mentioned here, either http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000671496/article/patrick-peterson-darrelle-revis-or-richard-sherman-nfls-top-corner?campaign=tw-nf-sf29756586-sf29756586

@canton-dawg said:

Anything is better than nothing.

@tim-couch-pulls-out said:

Regardless of the excuse, he's not playing like a $13 million CB right now.

But he is playing better than our $9 million receiver.