CLEVELAND — Joe Haden only needed a few hours to find a team that wanted him.

Goodbye Cleveland, and hello Pittsburgh.

Cut by the Browns after seven seasons, the two-time Pro Bowl cornerback agreed to terms Wednesday with the rival Steelers, who are giving the 28-year-old a chance to exact some revenge on a team that doesn’t think he can play anymore.

Haden’s deal, pending a physical, would be worth three years and $27 million, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Wednesday night..

Once Haden passes his physical, he’ll be on the other side of a rivalry that has become lopsided. In seven seasons with Cleveland, Haden went 2-12 against the Steelers, and his signing adds some luster to the season’s opener on Sept. 10 when Pittsburgh visits Cleveland.

Under the five-year, $67.5 million extension he signed with Cleveland in 2014, Haden was due to make $11.1 million this season, $11.2 next year and $10.4 million in 2019. Releasing Haden cost the Browns $3.2 million in salary cap space this season and next season.

Advertisement

n The Browns traded offensive lineman Cam Erving – another of the team’s first-round busts – to the Kansas City Chiefs for a 2018 fifth-round draft pick.

Erving, who was shifted from guard to center to tackle during two seasons with Cleveland, ends a disappointing stay in Cleveland for the No. 19 overall pick in 2015.

Erving’s versatility had attracted him to the Browns, who were convinced the former Florida State standout could be a building block in their turnaround. However, Erving struggled wherever the Browns put him and the team decided to cut ties with their second first-round pick in hours.

TEXANS: The Texans headed home to flood-ravaged Houston after their final preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys was canceled.

“We’ve got several members of our travel party – our coaches, our players, our staff members – whose families have been evacuated,” General Manager Rick Smith said. “There is so much devastation in the city and the region and we want to be part of the recovery process.”

The game scheduled for Thursday night had been moved from Houston to the home of the Cowboys because of widespread flooding in the Houston area in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. The decision to cancel the game altogether was announced when the Texans said local authorities had found a safe route for the team to drive the 250 miles home.

Advertisement

Bengals: Linebacker Vontaze Burfict had his suspension reduced from five to three games for his egregious hit on a Chiefs running back during a preseason game.

During the second preseason game, Burfict leveled running back Anthony Sherman on a pass play when he wasn’t the intended target. The play wasn’t penalized, but the league can impose fines or suspensions after reviewing plays.

Burfict originally got a five-game suspension but challenged it. Appeals officer James Thrash reduced it to three games. Burfict will miss home games against the Ravens and Texans and a road game with the Packers. He’ll be eligible to return for a game in Cleveland on Oct. 1.

Dallas: Running back Ezekiel Elliott’s appeal of his six-game suspension for domestic violence is headed for a second day with no timeline for completion of the hearing.

The appeal before arbitrator Harold Henderson is held at an undisclosed location. The NFL suspended its 2016 rushing leader after concluding he was physically abusive toward his then-girlfriend in Ohio last summer. Prosecutors declined to pursue the case.

The league’s letter detailing the suspension also noted video of Elliott pulling down a woman’s shirt and exposing her breast during a St. Patrick’s Day parade in Dallas. The NFL said it wasn’t considered in the six-game ban, but indicated a pattern of poor behavior.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.