#3. New Orleans Saints: Brandon Browner
PFF grade (position rank): -43.6 (118th)
2015 salary cap hit: $2.4 million
The days of Browner constituting one-fourth of Seattle’s “Legion of Boom” are long gone. He has our vote as the NFL’s least valuable cornerback of 2015.
The 31-year-old ranked second in yards allowed to opposing wideouts (964). Quarterbacks logged an astronomical passer rating of 122.5 when targeting him, the worst such mark allowed among corners with at least 1,000 snaps. Browner also missed 14 tackles, tied for third-most among corners.
And oh, the penalties. Browner was flagged 23 times; a record for cornerbacks since Pro Football Focus started tracking penalties in 2007. The once-valuable veteran is obviously having trouble adjusting to the new NFL rules aiming to limit downfield contact between receivers and defenders. If he can’t adapt to the new offense-friendly landscape of the league, he could find himself sitting at home in the very near future.
Even though the Saints would only save $1 million on their 2016 salary cap by cutting Browner this offseason, it’s plausible they’d rather eat $5.3 million of dead money and let some younger guys get some playing time than pay Browner $6.3 million to stink up the Superdome again.