Joe Thomas (OT)

AFC Notes: Chargers, Cutler, Thomas

October 22nd, 2017 at 6:27pm CST by GregGoldstein

The LA Chargers experiment has come under fire from some for their small stadium, high prices and noticeable attendance from the road fanbases over the first six weeks of the NFL season. However, a Chargers team representative reportedly defended the move during last week’s owners meetings, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. La Canfora points out that the team does have a few years to get things right before they move into the new Inglewood stadium that will be shared with their Hollywood rival Rams. Although, there’s still concern about the lack of a Plan B if things continue to sputter for the newly relocated franchise. In addition to facing the challenge of capturing attention of the fanbase from the now 5-2 Rams, the Chargers are set in a smaller stadium and less certainty off the gridiron as well, even though it would seem that the team’s ownership group is not backing down from the problems that have stemmed from their controversial move from San Diego.

Jay Cutler will soon undergo X-Rays on his ribs due to an injury he suffered in today’s game vs. the Jets, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter Link). Rapoport adds that team officials fear he has suffered cracked ribs, but will “check it all”. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com adds that he is now hearing Cutler may be out for the next 2-3 weeks. The injury adds to what has been a pedestrian season for the once retired 34 year-old. Through six games, he’s accumulated a QBR in the 30s, throwing almost as many picks as touchdowns (7 TD-5 INT). For the time being, Miami will turn to backup Matt Moore who led the team to a second half comeback in today’s win over New York.
In another injury news, All-Pro Browns tackle Joe Thomas had his consecutive snaps streak broken after exiting with an apparent left arm injury. The injury represents another blow to what has been another gloomy season in Cleveland. The veteran lineman sent out a personal tweet after today’s game confirming that he will undergo an MRI tomorrow. Thomas has been a staple on the Browns offensive line since he was drafted by the team third overall in 2006. He played an incredible 10,363 offensive snaps until he exited today, which truly shows that grit and toughness of arguably best offensive lineman in the league for the past decade.
Patriots highly-paid cornerback Stephon Gilmore sat out last week after suffering a concussion when he collided with the Bucs Mike Evans in Week 5. However, even with Gilmore and fellow corner Eric Rowe sidelined, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com opines that the team is more likely to promote a player for the practice squad than sign a veteran free agent like Leon Hall. Without Gilmore, the Pats will be relying Malcolm Butler, Johnson Bademosi and Jonathan Jones in the short-term.
Jags rookie wide receiver Dede Westbrook is eligible to come off the IR after week 8 and he could be a welcomed deep ball threat for an offense that lost Allen Robinson early in the season, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. DiRocco cautioned that the team’s 2017 fourth round pick hasn’t played an NFL snap, but could operate as the Jags third wideout behind Marqise Lee and Allen Hurns because of his speed and big play ability. Jacksonville had struggled passing the ball through the first six weeks of the season, but found their rhythm today, albeit against a struggling Colts defense.

Browns Don’t Intend To Trade Joe Thomas

October 20th, 2017 at 5:26pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Browns have “no intention” of trading left tackle Joe Thomas, according to Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com. While that’s not an outright declaration that Thomas won’t be dealt, it’s a signal that Cleveland plans to hang onto its All Pro blindside protector.

Thomas, of course, is no stranger to trade rumors, and with the NFL’s trade deadline only two weeks away, it’s no surprise that the 32-year-old is once again the subject of league gossip. The Broncos have long been mentioned as potential suitors — Denver reportedly offered edge rusher Shane Ray plus draft picks for Thomas in 2015, and inquired on Thomas again earlier this year before drafting Garett Bolles.

Thomas, who once again ranks as Pro Football Focus‘ No. 1 tackle, would make sense for a number of contending clubs that are in need of offensive line help. The Texans, Jaguars, and Seahawks are among the clubs that could speculatively be interested in a Thomas acquisition. Seattle, specifically, has met with free agent offensive tackle Branden Albert in recent days and is reportedly interested in Houston holdout Duane Brown.

Given his excellent production, Thomas is eminently affordable. He’s signed through the 2018 campaign, and an acquiring club would be responsible for only the remainder of Thomas’ $8.8MM base salary this year and a $10MM cap hit next season. In a league where the highest-paid offensive tackles are earning $13MM+ annually, Thomas is a bargain.

Cleveland has declined to trade Thomas in past seasons, but the club is now 0-6 and 1-21 since its new regime took over prior to the 2016 season. One recent report indicated the Browns are targeting front office personnel, so any voices in the team’s decision-making hierarchy could theoretically change Cleveland’s view on a Thomas deal.

Browns Rumors: Jackson, Thomas, Collins

October 14th, 2017 at 9:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

While questions about the effectiveness of the current Browns regime’s plan continue to emerge, there are NFL personnel who believe in what Cleveland’s trying to do. Some around the league remain bullish on the franchise’s strategy of stockpiling draft picks with the hope lapping the field in terms high-value selections can’t help but lead to a strong foundation, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes. Of course, the Browns benching their second-round rookie quarterback for a player who was on their practice squad a year ago in advance of a meeting with the surging Deshaun Watson doesn’t make for great optics. But Pelissero adds Jimmy Haslam, his history of impatience in this department notwithstanding, had to know this experiment wasn’t going to go well early. But the new regime’s 1-20 record piling up many more losses before picking up that second win still might mean trouble for either Hue Jackson or the Sashi Brown-led front office.

Here’s the latest out of Cleveland.

One asset perpetually linked to a trade for draft picks figures to re-emerge in these discussions before the Halloween deadline. Joe Thomas is still playing at an All-Pro level in his 11th season, but with the Browns having done so much to acquire high draft picks, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wonders if the team having once again fallen out of contention so soon would make a trade sensible. Thomas being on a team-friendly deal (a non-guaranteed salary of $8.8MM is attached to Thomas’ through-2018 contract) would stand to help in potential talks, and Browns management would seemingly be running out of time to cash in its top asset and grab another Day 2 pick (Thomas turns 33 in December). But Florio adds Thomas’ presence stands to help keep fans interested in the team, one that doesn’t look interested in competing for a playoff spot any time soon.
Whether Kizer reclaims his job and fares better down the stretch or not, the Browns’ new-look front office is unlikely to let the rookie’s performance affect the strategy of gauging 2018 draft options, Bud Shaw of cleveland.com writes. The Browns passed on Watson in part because they wanted to be in a strong position to draft a possible higher-end quarterback prospect next year. Choosing Watson at No. 12 would have provided a stronger impediment toward doing that than taking one at No. 52, where Kizer was chosen.
For the first time this season, the Browns will have their top two defensive investments on a game field together. Jamie Collins will return after missing three games due to a concussion, Dan Labbe of cleveland.com reports. It will mark the first time the outside linebacker and Myles Garrett will play together in a regular-season contest. Garrett registered two sacks in 19 snaps during his debut in Week 5.

AFC Notes: Thomas, Browns, Jets, Bengals

October 7th, 2017 at 10:29am CST by Ben Levine

Offensive tackle Joe Thomas has spent his entire 11-year career in Cleveland, and the Browns have produced a .292 winning percentage during that span. Understandably, the veteran understands a thing or two about “tanking” for a top prospect. However, considering his experiences, he warns that the strategy doesn’t always lead to success.

“It’s always fun for fans and the media to have that narrative because it gives you guys something to talk about,” Thomas told Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. “And for fans, I’m sure they enjoy the optimism of looking toward the future if they don’t think that the present is bright. But it seems like every year the player that you want to suck for ends up dropping and not being the top pick… or what you expected.”

During Thomas’ 10 full seasons, there have been eight different Browns quarterbacks to lead the team in passing…despite the fact that the organization had selected three signal callers in the first round.

“If you look historically at the draft at quarterbacks in the Top 10,” Thomas said, “About half of them flame out very quickly. So, there’s no guarantee in the NFL that if you’ve got the No. 1 pick or you’ve got a Top 5 pick, that you’re going to be able to draft a franchise quarterback. So, I’m not sure that the appropriate strategy is just to tank for a quarterback.”

Let’s check out some more notes from around the AFC…

Speaking of “tanking,” ESPN’s Rich Cimini examines the Jets‘ quarterback scenarios if they fail to get one of the top picks in the NFL draft. The team could look to sign one of the big names via free agency (including Drew Brees and Kirk Cousins), or they could try to pull off a trade for a veteran quarterback (Cimini mentions Alex Smith as a potential target). The Jets could alternatively try to trade up in the draft and acquire their targeted quarterback, although that’d surely cost them multiple picks. Ultimately, Cimini believes if the Jets finish outside of the top-5 in the draft, it will end up costing them a lot (whether it be money or picks) to acquire their next quarterback.
The Bengals will once again be without tight end Tyler Eifert and wide receiver John Ross tomorrow, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Ross, a 2017 first-round pick, has only appeared in one game this season, hauling in a single catch for 12 yards while also losing a fumble. Meanwhile, after collecting 18 touchdowns over the past two seasons, Eifert only has four catches for 46 yards in 2017.
In case you missed it, former Giants and Jets tight end Will Tye visited the Chiefs on Friday.

AFC North Notes: Ravens, Kaep, Browns

July 31st, 2017 at 2:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Ravens decision makers aren’t sure about whether to sign Colin Kaepernick, but some of the team’s most vocal veterans say they’d welcome the quarterback, as ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley writes.

“Hell yeah, if he’s going to help us win,” Suggs said. “We have no issues. Not in the locker room. Hell yeah, we want him.”

Defensive back Lardarius Webb, who is in his ninth season in Baltimore, also says that he’d like to see Kaepernick join the team and spice up the backup quarterback competition. While sponsors and fans of the Ravens might not be crazy about Kaepernick, it doesn’t sound like the players would have any issues with the QB and his political activism.

Here’s more from the AFC North:

Browns left tackle Joe Thomas isn’t necessarily thinking about retirement, but it’s something he’ll consider after the 2017 season. “It’s hard to say [how much longer I’ll play],” Thomas said (via ESPN.com’s Tony Grossi). “I’m lucky enough to be standing here after completing 10 years in my career, which was longer than I expected to play when I was a rookie. “I’ll re-evaluate things after the season. To me, the questions become do I still love it, am I still good enough to have a spot, and am I still healthy enough. Those are always the things I ask myself and if those are all yes I’ll keep playing, and if for some reason they’re no, then I’ll stop playing.” Thomas is signed through 2018 and due to make non-guaranteed salaries in each of the next two years.
Browns head coach Hue Jackson says safety Ed Reynolds will miss significant time with a knee injury, though he did say that it is not a torn ACL (Twitter links via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal). Reynolds currently projects as Cleveland’s starting free safety, so the Browns may want to look into signing a defensive back if he has to miss regular season games.
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger says he could retire after the 2017 season.
The Bengals‘ kicking competition is starting to take shape.

Broncos Tried To Trade Up For Christian McCaffrey

April 27th, 2017 at 9:36pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos tried to make a legacy pick tonight. They explored moving up from No. 20 to land running back Christian McCaffrey, but they were ultimately unsuccessful, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The Broncos also inquired about Joe Thomas‘ availability, but they wound up staying at No. 20 and drafting Garett Bolles instead.

Thomas was a trade candidate as the deadline last year and many believed that he would be on the block this offseason. In December, coach Hue Jackson denied that Thomas would be shopped.

“That is not happening, OK? — or I am going with him,” Jackson said. “OK? I guarantee you that. I am going with him.”

Thomas is due to make a non-guaranteed $10MM salary in both ’17 and ’18, so teams like the Broncos were not necessarily warded off by his contract. Last year, he graded out as the league’s No. 8 offensive tackle, according to Pro Football Focus. The Broncos would have loved to add him, but they could not pry him away.

Extra Points: McCourty, Broncos, Thomas

April 15th, 2017 at 12:41pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots appear to be a natural fit for recently-released cornerback Jason McCourty. Predictably, you can count brother (and current Patriots defensive back) Devin McCourty among those who’d like to see him land in New England.

“I’m excited for him,” McCourty told Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald. “I was hoping he would be out of Tennessee a couple years ago just to experience something different. I think obviously now everyone is saying ‘he’s going to come here, he should come here.’ But you never know. I hope we’re interested in him.”

Devin believes his brother should be seeking a gig that would allow him to start, which might not be possible in New England. If the Patriots end up keeping Malcolm Butler, McCourty would presumably slot in behind him and free agent-addition Stephon Gilmore on the depth chart.

“He’s not at the point in his career where he just wants to sit on the bench,” Devin McCourty said. “He wants to get a chance to get out there and compete. I’m excited for him. It’s a little bit of the unknown, but he’s my brother, he should do all right. He should just tell people he’s related to me.”

Let’s take a look at some other notes from around the NFL…

Veteran offensive lineman Ryan Clady is arguably the best available free agent, but Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com writes that the 30-year-old hasn’t garnered much interest this offseason. Clady has only appeared in nine total games over the past two seasons, but the four-time Pro Bowler still looked competent when he was on the field. The lineman visited the Seahawks last month, and Smith wonders if teams will start showing interest in Clady following the draft.
Mike Klis of 9News.com believes Broncos general manager John Elway can make the “biggest draft splash of his career” by selecting Stanford running back (and Colorado native) Christian McCaffrey with the 20th-overall pick. If the team is really looking to stir excitement, the reporter suggests the team also trades their second-rounder and third-round compensatory pick to the Browns for veteran offensive lineman Joe Thomas.
Speaking of Thomas, Troy Renck Denver7 can’t envision the Browns trading the offensive lineman (Twitter link). The reporter notes that the organization has rebuilt their offense around their lineman, so it’d be counter-intuitive to deal the best player on that unit. Reports from last season indicated that Thomas was available, although head coach Hue Jackson recently said that the veteran was staying put.

AFC North Notes: Browns, Steelers, Ravens

January 26th, 2017 at 5:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Should the Browns‘ newly assembled power structure consult the team’s franchise player about a plan for the No. 1 overall pick, Joe Thomas would not use it on a quarterback. Going into his 11th year, the perennial All-Pro left tackle would rather see his team use the selection to bolster the pass rush.

“I think you need to get a pass-rusher,” Thomas said on the Dan Patrick Show today (via Pat McManamon of ESPN.com). “… You gotta be careful reaching for a quarterback at No. 1 because if they fail, they don’t help your team at all. Whereas if you pick a defensive lineman and maybe they don’t live up to the hype, you can still find a place to get him on the field and to have an impact. We need guys that can come in and start and that can contribute.”

Thomas, who has two years left on his Browns deal and will turn 33 during the 2017 season, said in the past the Browns need to identify a franchise quarterback. There isn’t a better spot to do that than the No. 1 pick. But this quarterback class — fronted by Deshaun Watson, DeShone Kizer and Cleveland-area product Mitch Trubisky — has divided scouts. The Browns have been reportedly coveting Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett at No. 1 and considering a Watson pick at No. 12. But obviously, the versatile Clemson talent is no lock to be there when Cleveland’s second first-round window opens, given quarterback prospects’ rises as drafts near.

Here’s more from northeast Ohio and some other regions housing AFC North franchises.

Jamie Collins‘ four-year, $50MM extension will pay $37.5MM in its first three years before containing no guaranteed money during the 2020 season, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets. Collins will also receive a $5MM signing bonus as part of the deal (per Howe, on Twitter) which includes $26.5MM guaranteed.
Negotiations between the Ravens and UFA nose tackle Brandon Williams have not yet begun but are expected to commence before he hits the market, Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun notes. Even before Zach Orr‘s retirement, Williams was set to be the top priority, per Preston, for a Ravens team that’s lost numerous talents in free agency in recent years. It’s a big year for free agent defensive tackles, with Dontari Poe and Kawann Short residing as impending UFAs.
The Ravens tied up some loose ends on their coaching staff today, per the Baltimore Sun’s Jeff Zreibec (on Twitter). Chris Hewitt will take over new Bills DC Leslie Frazier‘s position as secondary coach, and Mike MacDonald will assist him, Zreibec tweets. Craig Ver Steeg, a nine-year Ravens offensive assistant, will coach quarterbacks, will slide over from skill-position assistance to helping QBs coach/OC Marty Mornhinweg with the signal-callers, Zreibec notes (on Twitter). Drew Wilkins will serve as the assistant defensive line coach. Each of these staffers’ assignment changes represents an internal promotion.
The Steelers could determine another year with Ladarius Green is too risky, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes. Green will enter his sixth season after experiencing a disastrous fifth, playing in just six games. However, he averaged 50.7 yards per game and made several big plays when healthy. But concussion issues dogged Green to the point Mike Tomlin said a decision needs to be made about the tight end. “I don’t have an assessment, long-term, of where he is,” Tomlin said. “I think that’s one of the chief medical decisions and questions that we have to have moving forward, in terms of guys getting an assessment of their overall health and what it means for 2017.” A Green cut will cost the Steelers $3.56MM in dead money while saving the team barely $2MM. Green said earlier this week he does not intend to retire.
Antonio Brown‘s constant desire for targets has rubbed many teammates the wrong way, but his occasionally selfish ways aren’t viewed as detrimental to the team, Gerry Dulac of the Post-Gazette writes. Ben Roethlisberger has told the All-Pro wideout to “shut up” multiple times on the field, and since-retired tight end Heath Miller told Brown to “stop complaining about not getting the ball” at a 2015 practice. However, Dulac notes Brown not a problem in the locker room. This could be a key point as Brown’s payday looms.

Jackson: Browns Not Making Thomas Trade

December 8th, 2016 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Joe Thomas trade rumors figure to surface again once the Browns’ season concludes, with the perennial All-Pro set to go into his age-32 season in 2017 on the heels of what could be a winless Cleveland campaign.

But Hue Jackson insisted an offseason Thomas trade is not going to occur, no matter how much sense it would make for a franchise that’s attempting one of the biggest grass-roots rebuilds in modern football history.

“That is not happening, OK? — or I am going with him,” Jackson said, via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “OK? I guarantee you that. I am going with him.”

Jackson also said the organization did not discuss trading Thomas at the deadline as it did last season, when the Broncos nearly acquired the six-time All-Pro for a Shane Ray-fronted package. But the first-year Browns coach charged with orchestrating this re-emergence said he would have objected if management attempted to push a trade through. Talk was the Browns wanted a second-round pick for the now-32-year-old left tackle, and although teams were interested, the interest did not reach the level it did in 2015.

“I would have [put my foot down]. There is no question,” Jackson said. “Joe Thomas means a lot to me personally and a lot to this organization and this team and this city. He has done too much, and we need to keep him here. Joe is an asset to this organization is so many different ways.”

Thomas is signed through 2018, due to make a nonguaranteed $10MM in both ’17 and ’18, so interest should resurface — potentially around draft weekend. Cleveland’s longest-tenured player has repeatedly expressed desire to stay with the team despite the franchise’s present status, and that remains as the Wisconsin product finishes out his 10th season.

“I’m a Clevelander,” Thomas said, via Elizabeth Merrill of ESPN.com. “I’ve spent the majority of my adult life here. Every day when I come to work, it’s ‘Let’s turn this team into a consistent winner.’ Because it would be such a special story. It would be like when the Cubs won the World Series. … It’s so important for me to be here for the turnaround. I don’t want to just get a Super Bowl ring [by] being traded to a dream team. It would feel unsatisfying.”

Merrill reports Jackson did talk to Thomas after he voiced what many took as an issue with the Browns letting so much talent depart in free agency, most notably offensive linemen Mitchell Schwartz and Alex Mack, with Thomas telling the first-year coach he did not mean the comments to be controversial.

Giants Express Interest In Joe Thomas

October 30th, 2016 at 1:34pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Giants have expressed interest in acquiring Browns left tackle Joe Thomas, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. However, Cleveland does not seem intent on trading Thomas, and New York would need to offer a substantial package in order to pique the Browns’ interest.

Thomas would certainly be an upgrade to a Giants’ offensive line that has been a mixed bag so far this season. Though New York ranks third in Football Outsiders‘ adjusted sack rate, it places just 27th in adjusted line yards, FO’s run-blocking metric. 2015 first-round pick Ereck Flowers has been adequate at left tackle, but a Thomas acquisition would allow Big Blue to move Flowers to the right side, where Bobby Hart has been overmathed through five starts.

The 31-year-old Thomas is in the midst of another excellent season, as he’s started all eight games and graded as the league’s No. 8 offensive tackle, according to Pro Football Focus. Thomas, a nine-time Pro Bowler, has never missed a contest during his 10-year NFL career, and is actually quite affordable from a cap perspective. Given that the Browns would absorb his remaining signing bonus money, Thomas would only count for $9MM in each of the next two years.

Thomas, a lifelong member of the Browns, has never been to the postseason. Still, he does not want to be traded. First-year coach Hue Jackson addressed reporters earlier this week and said that Thomas would not be dealt between now and the deadline. Despite that, rival GMs believe that top exec Sashi Brown could pull the trigger on a deal, especially since the team is going nowhere in 2016.

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