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| Haden lasted about 30 minutes at Wednesday's practice. (US PRESSWIRE) |
Cornerback Joe Haden is arguably the best player on the Browns roster (and definitely one of the top defensive backs in the division). The former first-round pick was a bright spot during a bleak 2011 season, but the last two weeks haven't been quite so rosy. He's reportedly facing a suspension from the league due to a failed drug test, and on Wednesday coach Pat Shurmur kicked him out of practice.
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According to ESPNCleveland.com's Tony Grossi, Haden got the boot 30 minutes into the session for being too rough with wide receiver Travis Benjamin. Apparently, Haden had been warned about pulling teammates' jerseys and after taking Benjamin down during a red-zone drill, Shurmur and Haden "exchanged heated words" before the cornerback was dismissed to the locker room.
Shurmur made it clear during his post-practice remarks to the media that the incident wasn't up for discussion.
“I’m not gonna talk about it,” he said. “That’s between me and the player. I have a great deal of respect for Joe. If you want details, you’re going to have to find it on Twitter. My only apology is that I used bad language and the fans were here to see it.”
(This is where Marvin Lewis would warn Shurmur of the perils of Twitter and why it should be avoided altogether.)
"That’s between me and the player," Shurmur continued. "Joe’s a great competitor and I appreciate what he does and who he is. I’m not talking about it anymore. You’ll have to go somewhere else to find out.”
Shurmur did say that, in general, “I think it’s important that we practice smart. You have to be able to practice at game speed (without tackling). I want all of our guys to make it to the horse race. Everything I do, all my thoughts, revolve around our players and our team. I told the guys that.”
While Shurmur must've been appalled and dismayed at what happened during the Cowboys-Chargers joint practice Tuesday his point is well taken. There are no awards for "most practice tackles" and the downside is that players could get hurt. But Benjiman, like Dallas' Dwayne Harris who was popped by San Diego's Quentin Jammer, didn't seem particularly bothered by the play. “That’s just defensive football,” he said.
There is good news, however: a team source told Grossi that the league hadn't indicated when or if Haden will face discipline for his reported failed drug test. It's not much but it's something.
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