The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Search to replace Thomas begins
Hue Jackson walked into the media room at Browns headquarters in Berea on March 15 sounding like a country singer lamenting the loss of his wife, dog and pickup truck all on the same day.
“I came out with a new song for Joe Thomas,” he said with a moan. “‘Oh, Joe, Baby, please don’t go.’”
Reporters in the room laughed.
“I’ve been singing that for a couple days now,” Jackson said. “That’s the way it goes.”
Thomas on March 15 announced his plans to retire after 11 seasons. He made the Pro Bowl his first 10 years and played 10,363 consecutive snaps.
The Browns acquired three players by trade and seven through free agency, but none play left tackle, and as far as Jackson is concerned,
no one on the current offensive line can play left tackle the way Thomas did.
For now, Jackson is planning to move Shon Coleman from right tackle to left tackle and play Chris Hubbard, one of the players signed in free agency, on the right side, but he said the competition is open.
Jackson’s preference is for Thomas to reconsider and play in 2018, but he isn’t holding his breath.
“I don’t think you fill that spot,” Jackson said. “Somebody has to go play left tackle, there’s no question, but do you really replace a Hall of Fame player in the organization? I think there’s an opportunity to still be a good offensive line, but we are not going to be the same line without Joe Thomas.
“We hope to go draft another Joe Thomas someday, but Joe Thomas is not in this building and he is not coming back this year.”
Thomas played on teams with losing records for the last 10 years of his career. The Browns were 1-31 the last two years under Jackson.
“My disappointment is we never got him to winning,” Jackson said. “This guy was a Hall of Fame player who hasn’t won a lot of football games. That’s unfair because I don’t think people truly understand how good Joe Thomas is as a football player, as a person, as a person within the community and the whole nine yards.
“I’m going to miss Joe, but as I told him again today, this is still his football team. He still has a (key) fob that gets in the door. His locker will stay the same. It will be in the same place. His place on the plane will be the same if he wants to go. That’s how much I think of Joe Thomas. He will be missed.”
Thomas, 33, has auditioned for jobs as a commentator for NFL games with FOX and ESPN.