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Joe Thomas (OT)

Josh Gordon Released From Rehab Facility

October 30th, 2016 at 9:24am CST by Rory Parks

Embattled Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon has been released from an inpatient treatment facility, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, citing league sources. Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer confirms the report.

Josh Gordon (vertical)

Schefter reports that Gordon was released last week after completing the 30-day program in New Hampshire, which is said to be the most intensive treatment that he has gone through. One league source added that Gordon is doing “a lot better.”

We heard late last month that the Browns plan to part with Gordon, and Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports that those plans have not changed, even though Cleveland controls Gordon’s rights for two more seasons. Both Ulrich and Schefter report that Cleveland would like to trade the Baylor product, and there is some question as to whether he can be dealt, since he remains suspended and there is no indication that he will be reinstated by the league prior to Tuesday’s 4pm trade deadline. Cabot, however, reports that the Browns can indeed try to trade Gordon by Tuesday, even if he is not reinstated.

Gordon was set to return from a four-game suspension on October 9 against New England, but he chose to enter rehab instead. He has been suspended for 35 of the Browns’ last 40 games because of recurring violation’s of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. If he is, in fact, eligible to be traded, the Eagles are one team that would seem like a perfect match on paper.

Now let’s take a quick look at several more Browns-related items:

  • Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that cornerback Joe Haden has been the subject of trade talks, and if he can prove he’s healthy, Rapoport believes those talks could really heat up in advance of the trade deadline.
  • Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports confirms recent reports that LT Joe Thomas is unlikely to be moved, given that the Browns are seeking greater compensation than the market will bear.

Vikings, Colts, Seahawks Seeking O-line Help

October 28th, 2016 at 8:34pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

With Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline approaching, the Vikings, Colts and Seahawks are looking to bolster their offensive lines for potential playoff runs, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). It’s unclear if any of those teams will offer enough for either of the best offensive tackles potentially on the move – the Browns’ Joe Thomas or the 49ers’ Joe Staley – says Cole, who adds that it would likely take at least a second-round pick to land one of them.

Joe Thomas

Despite his Hall of Fame-caliber resume, interest in the 31-year-old Thomas is limited, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Friday. Browns head coach Hue Jackson has shot down rumors that the team is shopping the nine-time Pro Bowler, and Thomas has made it clear that he doesn’t want to leave Cleveland, but general managers around the league expect a deal to materialize by the deadline. Any team that trades for Thomas would be on the hook for the cap charges remaining on the seven-year, $84MM extension he signed in 2011. Thomas has a $9.5MM cap number for this year and a $10MM figure in each of the next two seasons, though there’s no dead money left on his deal.

Staley, 32, hasn’t achieved Thomas’ level of success, but the 10th-year man has nonetheless been a terrific and durable lineman throughout his career. Now, there are conflicting stories on whether the five-time Pro Bowler is on the block. Staley’s contract isn’t nearly as club-friendly as Thomas’, with a combined $13.2MM in dead money remaining from 2017-19 and individual cap holds of $8.3MM, $11.15MM, and $7.7MM in both 2018 and ’19.

At 5-1, Minnesota is in a tie with Dallas for the best record in the NFC, but the Vikings’ offensive line has been problematic from a run-blocking standpoint. The group ranks last in the NFL in Football Outsiders’ adjusted line yards metrics, and the Adrian Peterson-less running back corps is looking up at the rest of the league with a paltry 2.6 yards per carry. Further, after the team’s 21-10 loss to the Eagles last week, head coach Mike Zimmer called the O-line “soft.” Quarterback Sam Bradford, in whom the Vikings invested a significant amount after Teddy Bridgewater‘s catastrophic injury, took six sacks in Philadelphia, though the Vikings have only allowed 14 this year.

Joe Staley (vertical)

Without left tackle Matt Kalil, who went on injured reserve after Week 2, the Vikings have turned to T.J. Clemmings and Jake Long and received underwhelming results. Either Thomas or Staley would provide a major boost on Bradford’s blind side, but the Vikings are already without a first-round pick in 2017 because of the Bradford trade. Losing another high selection wouldn’t be optimal, as general manager Rick Spielman said earlier this month.

“We’re still going to always build through the draft. You can’t do that without having the draft picks,” he stated.

Unlike the Vikings’, the Colts’ pass blocking has been disastrous. Quarterback Andrew Luck has taken a league-worst 25 sacks this year, and FO ranks the team’s line 30th in adjusted sack rate. Acquiring Thomas or Staley would enable the Colts to shift left tackle Anthony Castonzo to the right side, thereby sending fifth-round rookie Joe Haeg to the bench. However, the 3-4 Colts don’t look like a team that should be parting with valuable draft choices, and picking up Thomas or Staley would add another sizable contract to the ledger on the offensive side of the ball. GM Ryan Grigson said three weeks ago that the Colts are at a disadvantage in building a defense because of Luck’s deal, so it’s difficult to envision them racking up another big-money offensive cog.

The 4-1-1 Seahawks are above average in adjusted sack rate (13th) and sacks surrendered (fifth), but they might have incentive to further strengthen their line with quarterback Russell Wilson playing through multiple injuries and left tackle Bradley Sowell on the shelf with a knee sprain. Plus, unlike in years past, Seattle has struggled to run the ball, ranking 28th in adjusted line yards and 31st in YPC (3.1).

With each of these teams set to play another game before the deadline, this week’s outcomes could affect whether they make a late push for Thomas or Staley. The same goes for the league’s other playoff contenders, as an injury to a left tackle could send a GM scrambling to the phone to call Cleveland’s Sashi Brown or San Francisco’s Trent Baalke about their O-line stalwarts.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Weak Trade Interest In Browns OT Joe Thomas?

October 28th, 2016 at 1:54pm CST by Zachary Links

Despite denials from the Browns, multiple reports have indicated that tackle Joe Thomas could be traded if the right offer is made. Right now, however, it doesn’t sound like there are a lot of offers coming in. There is limited trade interest in Thomas, Mike Florio of PFT hears. Joe Thomas (vertical)

A source with knowledge of the situation says that only two teams have been exploring the potential move. That’s surprising given the long list of contending teams that could use a left tackle upgrade. In the last week, the Patriots, Cardinals, Giants, Seahawks, and Vikings have been linked to Thomas. Now it sounds like at least three of those teams have not called Cleveland to arrange a deal.

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.

Browns Rumors: Thomas, Haden, Coleman

October 26th, 2016 at 9:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

We’ve consistently heard Joe Thomas does not want to leave Cleveland despite the Browns being the league’s only winless team. The perennial All-Pro left tackle elaborated on that stance today and indeed did confirm he does want to compete in a playoff game at some point in his career, willingness to play through the Browns’ latest rebuild notwithstanding.

Responding to a question regarding other former Browns like T.J. Ward or Jabaal Sheard who have left and been on dominant teams, Thomas replied he wants that for himself but seeks it in Cleveland.

“When I first got here, my goal and my mission is kind of always to make the playoffs and to help be part of turning the Browns into a consistent winner and kind of turning the franchise’s fortunes around,” Thomas said, via Dan Labbe of cleveland.com. “We haven’t done that yet, so to me that means that my mission is not yet complete here.”

With the Browns as far away from such a turnaround as at any point in the decorated blocker’s 10-year career, it doesn’t seem the back end of his prime and a Cleveland playoff berth will line up. GMs also believe the Browns will backtrack on their firm stance of keeping the 31-year-old future Hall of Famer in northeast Ohio.

Here’s more from the Browns as their downtown counterparts look set to see the Cubs tie the World Series at 1 game apiece.

  • Thomas and Joe Staley have been reported to be thrust onto the trade block, and OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald takes look at the tackles’ markets. He notes a team would owe Thomas more than $24MM through 2018, while Staley would cost less than $18MM, potentially narrowing the talent gap between them and explaining the 49ers’ demand for a first-round pick and the Browns’ willingness for a second. A team trading for the 31-year-old Thomas would owe the six-time All-Pro (the 32-year-old Staley has no All-Pro honors) $4.882MM if it executed a trade before Week 8.
  • Another name to possibly keep an eye on in prospective Browns trade talks is Joe Haden, Pat McManamon of ESPN.com writes. While Thomas has drawn the most trade interest of Browns players the past two seasons, Haden also qualifies as a veteran on a rebuilding team full of younger talent. The second-longest-tenured Brown behind Thomas, Haden doesn’t have a deal as trade-friendly as Thomas’. The 27-year-old corner has $6.8MM worth of guaranteed money left on his contract, one that runs throuugh 2019, and stands to take up $14MM of a team’s cap in 2017 and ’18. McManamon cites Haden’s injury history, having missed three games already this season for finger and groin maladies on top of a 2015 season plagued by ailments, as a reason the Browns would want to seek out a return for their top defender.
  • Corey Coleman returned to practice today for the first time since breaking his hand Sept. 21, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports. The first-round rookie ran routes but didn’t catch any passes, and Cabot puts Coleman’s timetable in line with a Week 9 or Week 10 return.
  • After missing Sunday’s second half due to an unspecified illness, Cameron Erving returned to practice today and is expected to start when the Browns host the Jets this weekend, Cabot reports. The second-year center suffered a bruised lung earlier this season, his first as a full-time starter.
  • Josh McCown looks like he’s going to return to the Browns’ lineup behind Erving, barring a setback.

GMs Believe Browns Will Trade Joe Thomas

October 26th, 2016 at 3:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Hue Jackson says that Joe Thomas isn’t going anywhere, but several GMs around the league believe that VP Sashi Brown will in fact trade him, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Brown tried hard to trade Thomas last year and called multiple teams around the league to get something done. Jackson wants to hold on to the multiple-time Pro Bowler and Thomas doesn’t want to be traded, but it ultimately won’t be up to either of them. Joe Thomas (vertical)

[RELATED: Thomas Hopes To Stay With Browns]

So far this season, the advanced numbers at Pro Football Focus have Thomas tied for No. 8 out of 75 qualified tackles. Thomas’ run blocking is starter quality but his 87.4 overall score for pass blocking puts him in elite company. There are a number of contending teams with offensive line issues as the trade deadline approaches and the Browns are predictably hearing from clubs with interest.

The Browns are now 0-7 after losing to the Bengals on Sunday. With no hope of making the playoffs, Brown could be inclined to pull the trigger, even if it upsets his first-year head coach.

Joe Thomas Hopes To Stay With Browns

October 26th, 2016 at 11:20am CST by Zachary Links

Trade winds are blowing around Joe Thomas, but if he had his way, he wouldn’t go anywhere. This week, Browns coach Hue Jackson denied that Thomas is on the block and that was music to the tackle’s ears. Joe Thomas (vertical)

[RELATED: Browns Shoot Down Joe Thomas Trade Talk]

“[It] feels good to be loved. I’m hoping they stick to their word,” Thomas said (Twitter link via Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer).

Thomas has been with the Browns for his entire career since entering the league in 2007. The former No. 3 overall pick in the draft has been showered with individual accolades, but he has yet to reach the postseason. One might think that the nine-time Pro Bowler and six-time First-Team All-Pro would want to join up with a contender. Apparently, that’s not the case.

The Patriots, Cardinals, Giants, Seahawks, and Vikings are said to have varying degrees of interest in the 31-year-old (32 in December). If Jackson is telling the truth, then they will all be left disappointed after the deadline.

Browns Shoot Down Joe Thomas Trade Talk

October 24th, 2016 at 2:04pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns are winless through seven games and there’s next no chance of them reaching the postseason this year. It would stand to reason that they would entertain offers for their best veterans, but coach Hue Jackson says that Joe Thomas is not available via trade, despite reports to the contrary. Joe Thomas (Vertical)

“We. Are. Not. Going. To. Trade. Joe. Thomas,” Jackson told reporters today (via the Browns on Twitter).

Of course, we’ve seen coaches and GMs deny trade talk in the past only to deal the player in question. Thomas, in his tenth season, could be a valuable piece for a contending team and he could bring in a quality return for a Cleveland team that is (once again) playing for next year. According to yesterday’s report, the Browns are looking for a second-round pick in exchange for the veteran. Thomas is under contract for another two seasons after this one and is slated to make $10MM in 2017 and 2018. However, there is no guaranteed cash remaining on his contract.

Thomas, a six-time All-Pro lineman and lifelong member of the Browns, has never been to the playoffs. If Jackson is telling the truth, then that won’t change anytime soon.

Joe Thomas Trade Again On Table

October 23rd, 2016 at 6:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Joe Thomas has not made it known he wants out of Cleveland, but as the 0-7 Browns have predictably floundered in another rebuilding year, the left tackle doesn’t seem to have a place on the team. And trade winds are blowing again around the perennial first-team All-Pro.

Several teams are interested in the 10th-year edge protector, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports, and all would give Thomas a chance to play in the playoffs for the first time in his career.

Florio reports the Patriots, Cardinals, Giants, Seahawks and Vikings have varying degrees of interest in a potential Thomas deal. But the Browns likely will keep him through Week 8, with the deadline a day after their clash with the Jets. The team owes its longest-tenured player $488K in Week 8; Thomas is under contract through 2018.

The Browns are eyeing a second-round pick for the six-time All-Pro lineman, a source tells Florio. That would be a worse haul than what they could have received last year, when the Broncos submitted a proposal including 2015 first-rounder Shane Ray and a second-round pick. Thomas will turn 32 in December, so his days of being a top-tier blocker are winding down. But he’d certainly be an upgrade on numerous teams’ left tackle situations.

Florio adds the chances the Browns move Thomas are lower than they were a year ago, and teams’ cap space in taking on Thomas’ contract will be an issue. The 6-foot-6 blocker does not have any guaranteed money left on his deal and will make $10MM in 2017 and ’18. As Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap points out (Twitter link), teams would only need to possess around $4.9MM in 2016 cap space to trade for Thomas. The Giants and Patriots are safely under that mark, while the Seahawks (at $5.931MM) are to a lesser degree. Both the Vikings (league-low $426K in cap space) and Cardinals ($2.171MM) aren’t.

If the Browns get to the point they’re willing to take what they can get for Thomas, Florio notes the Patriots would be interested in being his landing spot. The Pats and Browns already made a deal that sent the Browns’ 2013 first-round pick, Barkevious Mingo, to New England earlier this year. New England placed Sebastian Vollmer on the PUP list due to nagging hip problems that are expected to keep him out all season.

Minnesota’s line has not performed well and placed both starting tackles, Matt Kalil and Andre Smith, on IR. However, the Vikings traded their first-round pick next year for Sam Bradford and recently added Jake Long. Mike Zimmer, in criticizing his offensive line, said (via Florio) the team doesn’t plan to make any more additions up front.

It’s been reported on multiple occasions Thomas will not ask for a trade. But with the Browns having already parted with several veterans, not playing for anything in the short term and showing with their most recent draft moves how much they covet draft picks, a deal would make sense either this season or before the 2017 draft.

Browns’ Joe Thomas Won’t Request Trade

October 15th, 2016 at 12:57pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

With the Nov. 1 trade deadline approaching, Browns left tackle Joe Thomas seems like a logical target for contending teams in need of offensive line help. However, Thomas wants to remain with the Browns and will not request a trade, a source close to the nine-time Pro Bowler told Pat McManamon of ESPN.com.

Joe Thomas

As of two weeks ago, rival clubs were determining what it would take for the Browns to deal the 31-year-old Thomas. Cleveland’s new regime has been reluctant to move him — and Thomas himself didn’t request a trade over the offseason — but considering the Browns’ 0-5 start, it’s possible a trade could materialize.

Thomas nearly became a Bronco at last year’s deadline, but the Browns turned down an offer of edge rusher Shane Ray and a second-round pick, according to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora. Other reports at last year’s deadline indicated that Denver was willing to ship a first- and second-rounder to Cleveland for Thomas and a fourth-rounder.

If Thomas ends up on the move this year, an acquiring team would be on the hook for the cap charges remaining on the seven-year, $84MM extension he signed in 2011. Thomas has a $9.5MM cap number for this year and a $10MM figure in each of the next two seasons, though there’s no dead money left on his deal.

Thomas, whom the Browns chose third overall in the 2007 draft, has been the franchise’s only consistent bright spot since his NFL career began. The former Wisconsin Badger has appeared in 149 straight games, all starts, but he has never played in a postseason contest. A trade could give him that opportunity, but if the future Hall of Famer has it his way, he’ll stay put.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this report. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC North Notes: Thomas, Eifert, Ravens, Pouncey

October 5th, 2016 at 8:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns lost more of their core talents this offseason as a new front office attempts another reboot. Joe Thomas didn’t necessarily agree with the decisions to let some of those players go and mentioned previous front office’s apathy toward keeping past free agents as a reason for where the team resides today.

“That’s one of the frustrations that I’ve had over the years, and that’s the problem when you constantly are hitting the reset button is guys that are really good players like that end up falling through the cracks or going to other teams because any time a new staff comes in basically they wipe out the middle class,” Thomas said, via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “They keep a couple of your superstars and then they want everyone else being a rookie so that they can try to develop them.

“When you keep doing that over and over again, you really lose all your middle class on your team. So guys like Buster Skrine, Jabaal Sheard, D’Qwell Jackson, Jordan Cameron, Travis Benjamin … disappeared, even though those were the guys that you drafted them, spent the time developing them and right when they’re hitting stride in the peaks of their career, they end up going somewhere else and having great success.”

Thomas, who continues to be the subject of trade rumors, and Joe Haden remain two of the only long-tenured Browns. The franchise also let Alex Mack and Mitchell Schwartz walk this spring. Cleveland possesses an NFL-most $49.3MM in cap space.

Here’s the latest from the Browns’ AFC North rivals.

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