The trade deadline is next week and one of the names that has come up as a possible target for teams looking to upgrade their offensive line is Browns left tackle Joe Thomas.
Connecting those dots isn’t hard. The Browns have jettisoned many veterans since their latest regime change, Thomas has been one of the best tackles in the league for years and the team reportedly came close to moving him to Denver around this time last year.
In response to such thoughts, Browns coach Hue Jackson said earlier this week that the Browns “are not going to trade Joe Thomas.” Thomas said Wednesday that he’s been around the NFL too long to be surprised by anything, but that he hopes Jackson was telling the truth.
“Feels good to be loved,” Thomas said, via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “I’m hoping they stick to their word.”
Thomas admitted to not being sure if he wanted to stick with the Browns before they hired Jackson and put their latest front office in place early this year, but said after Jackson’s arrival that he “definitely” wanted to stick around. An 0-7 start hasn’t changed that feeling, although it won’t be until next week until we’re sure that the status quo will remain in place.
