The Unsung Brown Joe Thomas Gets His Due

Finally, the Browns were able to do something right. This morning, Cleveland extended Left Tackle Joe Thomas’s contract for seven years, $84 million. Why is spending $44 million guaranteed on a lineman a great move? Only because Thomas has made the Pro Bowl in each of his four seasons, and first team All-Pro twice already. He was voted the top left tackle in the league, and has never missed a start. The Browns now have the anchor of their line and protector of their quarterback locked down for another seven seasons.

While the Browns first round draft futility has been discussed before on this blog, Thomas’s success so far shines a new light on it. He has made four Pro Bowls already while the previous 14 players Cleveland drafted his year or earlier have a combined two. Even the last 23 only have a combined four All-Pro selections, compared to Thomas’s three (two first team, one second team). You have to go all the way back to the 1978 draft class of Clay Matthews Jr and Ozzie Newsome to find a comparably solid first round draft selection, and Clay Matthews III is now in the league!