Joe Haeg’s next NFL stop might only be a few hours away. After visiting with the Las Vegas Raiders earlier in the week, Haeg’s now taken a trip to Cleveland. According to the NFL transaction sheetr via Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson, Haeg recently visited with the Cleveland Browns. Elsewhere, linebacker Buddy Johnson visited the San Francisco 49ers.
Haeg was arguably the Steelers most surprising cut as they trimmed their roster down to 53. Though he rotated a bit with veteran Trent Scott, Haeg generally ran as the team’s #3 OT throughout the summer as a trusted and proven veteran who could play four spots on the line, everything but center. But he ultimately lost out to Scott, who was also released Tuesday but brought back to the 53-man roster yesterday after the Steelers shifted S Damontae Kazee and WR Calvin Austin to IR. Pittsburgh’s tackle depth looks even thinner with Scott and potentially Jesse Davis as the team’s backups.
Haeg, a 5th round pick of the Colts in 2016, has started 40 career games. He spent the 2021 season in Pittsburgh, logging 307 total offensive snaps, splitting time between guard and tackle. He isn’t the only former Steeler potentially heading to Cleveland. Reportedly, TE Jesse James is close to signing a deal with the team.
The Steelers and Browns will play each other Week Three, a Thursday night primetime game. They’ll meet again in Week 18’s regular season finale, a game in which QB Deshaun Watson will be eligible to play in.
Johnson was the Steelers’ fourth round pick in 2021. He spent most of his rookie season as an inactive, logging only six defensive snaps and missing time towards the end of the year with a foot injury. Johnson failed to make a second-year jump this summer and was cut by the team, losing out to 7th round rookie Mark Robinson and Marcus Allen, initially released but re-signed yesterday. It doesn’t appear Johnson will land on the Steelers’ practice squad, making him one of the quickest mid-round misses in several years.
