Joe Haden ranks the top two cornerbacks

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Darrelle Revis and Richard Sherman recently squabbled regarding the question of which of them is the best cornerback in football.

Nobody checked with Joe Haden.

Haden, Browns cornerback and top-10 pick in 2010, shared his assessment on Friday’s Pro Football Talk.

“I would say honestly and this is just me being real 100%, I would say Darrelle Revis,” Haden said.  “I studied tape on guys and I try to look and see what I can do to get my game to be on their levels [and] I feel like I’m honestly the number two cornerback in the league, that’s just my opinion personally.

“I studied all the good guys, all the great guys that are in the league now but Darrelle Revis he just stands out cause he’s just complete.  He tackles, he can play off, he can play press, and he’s just very, very, very patient and he’s just hard to deal with off the line.  His footwork on the line is amazing and that’s just the one thing I feel like I need to get to his level is just press so I feel that’s why he’s the No. 1 cornerback now.”

Haden also made a case for leaving Sherman out of the top two.

“Not to take anything away from him, I mean he’s a really good player on a talented team,” Haden said.  “They get seen a lot, their defense is, their secondary is amazing with him,  Earl [Thomas], you got [Kam] Chancellor, I mean their other corner too they have just their whole secondary, they get recognition, their team wins, they get seen a lot more but he’s a really, really good player but it would be Revis and then myself.”

So, basically, Haden very politely said to Sherman the stuff Sherman said to Skip Bayless.

Let’s see what Sherman has to say in response.

59 responses to “Joe Haden ranks the top two cornerbacks

  1. I like Haden’s confidence and in time he will be a great corner. But he’s not better than Sherman. Top 5 is even stretching it.

  2. Uh…yeah – but the point missed here is the obvious…the last tape on Revis was a year ago BEFORE he blew out his knee.

    As Richard would say….”Damaged goods bro”

  3. Agreed. I would take both revis and Haden over Sherman. Even if I didn’t think he was a better player, Sherman doesn’t shut up. I have 0 respect for him as a person whatsoever after his comments to Bayless (whom I hate, but it was an ignorant thing to say)

  4. Haden is good going to be great soon…as a Ravens fan im glad the Browns new management blew up the whole organization…they was heading n the right direction and it scared me. but now it seems there starting over..thanks

  5. woo hoo!! This is about to get good! oh and good assesment by Haden considering Sherman has been a started for one year and we all know what a one year wonder is.

  6. Patrick Peterson won’t be coming out any time soon and proclaiming he is the best at his position in the NFL…but his play will undoubtedly do the talking this upcoming season. Without so much as a sliver of a doubt, he will develop into THE premiere corner in the NFL by the 2nd half of next season. Bet on it.

  7. What a shock. Another egotistical nut from loser-land who thinks he’s one of the best. I don’t believe in listening to fools who’ve never won anything dismiss the claims of players from competitive teams who have proven they can stand up to the best.

  8. I think it is so funny how no one ever mentions Charles Tillman when he has been one the most Consistent Corners in the past 8-9 years

  9. If you watch the tapes, Richard Sherman is far and away the elite corner in the nfl. His mouth is just exhausting. On the field, Sherman has them both beat.

  10. Sherman was INVITED on that show to spare with Bayless. Sherman upheld his end of the bargain, which was to give the new afternoon version of “First Take” some publicity. Mission accomplished.
    As for Bayless: Anyone who would vehemetly defend Tim Tebow but bash Aaron Rodgers is, you know, IGNORANT.

  11. @captainwisdom8888

    I assume you are a Cardinal Fan. I suggest you watch the 4 games Peterson have played against Crabtree before you start mentioning his name. Crabtree owns him. Just like Stevie Johnson owns Revis and Brandon Marshall / Roddy White owned Sherman. Every good corner will meet thier match. My top five corners are as follow:

    1. Revis
    2. Sherman
    3. Tillman
    4. Haden
    5. A. Cromartie

  12. I’m a Seahawks fan so everyone would probably expect me to take Shermans side, but honestly I don’t care. I think all CBs are over rated. I agree with Colin Cowherd the CB position is way over rated they are not as important as they once where and definately not worth what Revis wants and I like having Sherman but when it comes contract time if he wants Revis money then I would like to MLB positions are more important.

  13. As a die hard Seahawks fan, I’ll admit Sherman is starting to run his mouth a bit much. However, he’s the first Seahawk to do so. Before him, the most smack we’ve said was “We want the ball, and we’re gonna score”. Now for Mr. Haden, you should think that. If a professional athlete doesn’t believe he’s elite, then he’s not doing his job. Richard Sherman has definitely opened up a new chapter in the NFL, where every defensive player tries to pass his stats, and every offensive player tries to score on him. And hey, if you hate the smack talk, go watch the CFL.

  14. People don’t want to say Haden is the top 2 best CB’s simply because he plays on the Browns. If he played on a contender or a famous team, it wouldn’t be a debate. Judge him by his play, not by how the other 52 teammates he has plays.

  15. darthvader89 says:
    Mar 8, 2013 7:08 PM
    What a shock. Another egotistical nut from loser-land who thinks he’s one of the best. I don’t believe in listening to fools who’ve never won anything dismiss the claims of players from competitive teams who have proven they can stand up to the best.

    I’m guessing you didn’t see the show or even read the article. He was asked where do you think you stand among the top corners? What was he supposed to say? I’m awful. No. He calmly and respectfully stated his case while saying Sherman was also very good.

  16. The real best corner just made his entrance. In the original thread I said Haden and Peterson will be way better come this time next year. Hopefully they are more classy than these overrated clowns.

  17. Nnamdi Asomugha kinda fell off the map, didn’t he?

    I agree with Haden. I’m in NE Ohio and have watched his whole career… he is a great corner. If the Browns won more games he would be a big star.

  18. I honestly think…

    1. Revis
    2. Haden
    3. Cromartie
    4. Tillman
    5. Sherman

    Sherman needs to prove he’s more than a one year wonder. All the guys I have above him have had 3 or more phenomenal years.

  19. Sherman remind me of the right field who thinks he’s the best because he leads the league in assist. Dummy, they’re running on your arm. Same thing with Sherman and his eight picks, they’re challenging you because no one respects you yet. At least Revis does his thing clean and didn’t have to appeal a suspension.

  20. I like Sherman. Call him whatever you want but the guy can play…..and I’m a 49ers fan! I always want some ‘edge’ and swag to a player when he can back it up.

  21. Revis WAS number 1 BEFORE his ACL injury. Sherman put together a great season and thus, earned himself All-Pro, which means the BEST at his position. Had Revis played, perhaps we wouldn’t even be having this conversation but that’s not the case.

    You might not like his trash talk but RIGHT NOW, Sherman is the best CB in the NFL.

  22. darthvader89 says:
    Mar 8, 2013 7:08 PM
    What a shock. Another egotistical nut from loser-land who thinks he’s one of the best. I don’t believe in listening to fools who’ve never won anything dismiss the claims of players from competitive teams who have proven they can stand up to the best.
    ____________________________

    Haden is about a far from an egotistical nut as you can get. He didn’t say anything offensive and gave a reasoned answer to question. He didn’t trash Sherman–in fact, he praised him. And if Haden went to your team–whichever it is–you’d be thrilled, as would anybody criticizing Haden here.

  23. darthvader89 says: “What a shock. Another egotistical nut from loser-land who thinks he’s one of the best. I don’t believe in listening to fools who’ve never won anything dismiss the claims of players from competitive teams who have proven they can stand up to the best.”

    How profitable is the company you work for? If they’re not one of the 5 most profitable companies in the world, then you must suck at your job.

  24. Sherman: 64 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, 8 int, 1 sack.
    Haden: 51 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 3 int! 0 sacks
    Revis: 2011 stats when healthy
    52 tackles, 0 forced fumbles, 4 int, 0 sacks.

    Sherman 2011 stats: 55 tackles, 0 forced fumbles, 4 int, 0 sacks

    The stats don’t lie folks. Sherman is the elite corner.

    Hate him for his mouth fine. But his play on the field is exceptional.

  25. 1) Revis
    2) Woodson
    3) Sherman
    4) Gilmore
    5) Cromartie
    6) Haden
    7) Asomugha
    8) Joseph
    9) Rogers
    10) Bailey

    IMHO, Revis still stands at the top, Woodson is better than Sherman, Gilmore is up and coming and Cromartie beats out Haden by a bit. If I had to choose 5 Cornerbacks building a team, Revis and Woodson would be my starters, Sherman and Gilmore would be my subs and Cromartie would be my Nickel Corner.

  26. Haden is right!
    Haden is right!
    Haden is right!
    Haden is right!

    And here is why, Seattle’s pass rush is so much better than the Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets!

    Sherman benefits a great deal from the pieces around him… particularly that pass rush! To think what Revis will do with that type of Pass Rush forcing QBs to make quicker decisions.

    Sherman is a good player, but dude come on, man relax yourself.

  27. I get the feeling the logical voice is either kidding with his dumb posts or there might be something seriously wrong with him. In any case, The Foreskin fans are generally pretty ignorant/in denial/stupid and I don’t mean that to be an insult to other stupid people. Someone put a muzzle on that fool.

  28. @darthvader89

    You state that Haden has never won anything. Why don’t you Google his Gator years and revise that inane post. Better yet, watch a game on a Saturday.

  29. That argument where sherman has more picks cuz hes thrown to more couldnt be farther from the truth. He was thrown at 87 times in 2012. Revis averages 84 targets a year.

    These are all stud players. The only thing that really separates any of them is a few circumstances. Whats the point in splitting hairs?

  30. Doesn’t matter how you rank these guys. They all have one thing in common, no rings.

  31. Haden is probably right about this. Everyone talks about how bad the Browns are, but I could probably name more than 10-15 teams that would be just as bad, if they were in the AFC North.

  32. As a former corner myself, the two emerging corners are Janoris Jenkins and Prince Amukamara. Tackling is a very important component for an edge player and that can be graded objectively. Prince is the best tackling CB in the NFL. Most of the general public cannot tell the difference between Cover 2, 3, and/or Quarters zone. How can they then judge the performance of that position ?

  33. @ninerhatersgetready4ring6
    ‘Just like Stevie Johnson owns Revis’???
    See, That’s how good Revis is…WR Averaging 75 yards is not owning anyone!
    Revis 2009 season is Ridiculous…
    During one stretch, from wk 11 thru the playoffs…
    Randy Moss 5 for 34 yards
    Steve Smith 1 for 5 yards
    T.O. 3 for 31 yards
    Antonio Bryant 2 for 22 yards
    Roddy White 4 for 33 yards
    Reggie Wayne 3 for 33 yards
    Ocho Cinco in season Finale and wk 1 of playoffs 2 for 28 yards
    Vincent Jackson(playoffs) 2 for 26 yards
    Reggie Wayne(playoffs) 5 for 55 yards
    And unlike Sherman, who plays with 2 of the top safeties in the league, Revis had Leonard and Smith, that’s a HUGE advantage for Sherman

  34. Pretty clear alot of you dont even watch football enough to comment on the matter. Haden is a solid corner, but number 2? LMAO….he isnt even top 5. Overall…top 7, maybe. He wasnt even a top 10 CB in 2012. Top 2 is pretty much an elite player, and elite players dont get beat as much as he does.

    He is overrating himself…tends to happen these days.

    And while Sherman has a big mouth, he is easily better than Haden at this point. Anyone saying otherwise needs to shut their mouths and stick to watching cartoons. Sherman has never had the type of season that Revis had in 2010, but he still had a far better season in 2012 than Haden has ever had.

  35. We should all be ashamed of ourselves that we even talk about Richard Sherman. He is great at running his mouth and a good corner on a very talented defense. Stevie Johnson tore him up in 2012 confirming that his is good but not great. Johnson has never torn up Revis, yes maybe beaten him on a few routes but never dominated Revis. Johnson dominated Sherman. Johnson’s route that led to a TD left Sherman looking as bad as Sanchez on the butt fumble. Stop talking about Sherman, everyone, please……

  36. @olyhawk

    Stats are for CB’s that get thrown at a lot. Remember Nnamdi a few years ago in Oakland? He was so good QB’s never challenged him. That’s Revis now, but not Sherman. QB’s still throw at Sherman which is why he is able to compile those stats.

    Champ, Nnamdi, and Revis are the only three CB’s in the past decade who QB’s just straight wanted to avoid throwing at.

  37. While I won’t say that Sherman is a better Corner than Revis (when healthy), for anyone who actually does watch the Seahawks play, Haden is nowhere in Sherman’s league. It’s a joke to even mention it…and I’ve watched Haden since his early days at Florida.

    What sets Sherman apart from alot of these guys is he not only gets INT’s, but he led the league in Passes Defensed and causes fumbles as well.

    And as it was rightly pointed out, Patrick Peterson is ALL hype. I saw Michael Crabtree absolutely use Peterson (go watch the season finale against the Niners) on several occasions. The Seahawks abused him in the 58-point beatdown they gave Arizona.

    And for the record, Richard Sherman has played at an All Pro level since he took over for Marcus Trufant in the middle of the 2011 season, so he’s beyond the “one year wonder” moniker some have tried to give him.

    Roddy White got the best of Sherman on one play where he fell down. Outside of that neither Roddy or Julio Jones did anything against the Seattle secondary. O n the other hand, Stevie Johnson gave Sherman a handful just like he does Revis. The dude is ultra-quick out of his cuts.

  38. Max says: “And here is why, Seattle’s pass rush is so much better than the Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets!

    Sherman benefits a great deal from the pieces around him… particularly that pass rush! To think what Revis will do with that type of Pass Rush forcing QBs to make quicker decisions.”

    You CANNOT be serious! You obviously didn’t watch one Seahawk game this past season. The biggest weakness the Seahawks had was their lack of a pass rush. They’re a horrible pass rushing team!

  39. Sorry Haden. You’re good. But you were drafted 7th overall. Sherman was 154th. You should be head and shoulders better than Sherman. But he clearly outplayed you in his first full year as a starter. And sure he plays in a great secondary, but he was unquestionably the best player in that secondary.

    His mouth is getting old fast, but his play was phenomenal this year.

  40. Quote from post #2:

    Uh…yeah – but the point missed here is the obvious…the last tape on Revis was a year ago BEFORE he blew out his knee.

    As Richard would say….”Damaged goods bro”

    ———————–

    As Richard would also say….”Joe who?”

  41. I love you Joe, but when you were at UF, it was Janoris Jenkins that was assigned to shadow Julio Jones and AJ Green. Wonder why that was the case? Jenkins is better that Haden but neither is #2 in the league.

  42. @ cestlavidaloca
    Where are you getting your numbers about how many times Sherman was thrown at? If you watched his games, he is very respected by opposing quarterbacks. In fact, Brandon browner is whom is targeted more so than Sherman, and browner was a pro bowler year b4 last. Show me some numbers?

  43. Man, I am so tired of hearing sherman and his fans talk about his picks. Yeah, 8 INTs is very impressive… or is it? With one exception, they were off experienced or total scrub QBs:

    Kevin Kolb – 1 INT
    Sam Bradford – 2 INTs
    Tom Brady – 1 INT
    Mark Sanchez – 1 INT
    John Skelton – 2 INT (*he threw 4 INTS that game)
    Colin Kaepernick – 1 INT

    Seriously guys, he’s a good corner but give it a rest.

  44. only true answer to this is ask the coordinators qbs and wrs that play against them who is toughest – answer hands down is revis

  45. “cestlavidaloca says:Mar 8, 2013 8:13 PM

    I honestly think…

    1. Revis
    2. Haden
    3. Cromartie
    4. Tillman
    5. Sherman

    Sherman needs to prove he’s more than a one year wonder. All the guys I have above him have had 3 or more phenomenal years.”

    I get the concern about the “one-hit wonder” bit… but you overstated your case when you said those guys ALL had 3 or more phenomenal years… lol. Haden has only been in the league for three years (which has only included one that he played all 16 games). His stats for his three years roughly match Sherman’s for last year alone (oustide of the extra year for tackles). In fact, Sherman’s ROOKIE year had better stats than both of Haden’s last two years. So please at least LOOK at the stats before you make claims and statements…

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