Thomas belongs in Ring of Honor

“From the moment I was drafted, the city embraced me in a way that I could never fully describe. I am proud to call Cleveland home. The loyalty and passion of the fans is unmatched, and it was an honor to play in front of them for the past 11 years.” – Joe Thomas

Mike Holmgren did few things well during his brief time as president of the Browns, but one of them was establishing the Ring of Honor inside FirstEnergy Stadium in 2010 to recognize the 16 Browns in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Enough room exists on the ring to add names of others from Browns history who deserve recognition, such as Blanton Collier, who coached the 1964 championship team.

Nobody with any power in Berea after Holmgren was shoved out the door in February 2012 had enough grasp of Browns history to realize what Collier, Gary Collins, Greg Pruitt, Clay Matthews, Brian Sipe and others mean to the legacy the front office so readily talks about as a way of connecting to a fan base it doesn’t really understand.

That disconnect with the past could change with John Dorsey as Browns general manager, but since no names have been added since the Ring of Honor was unveiled, what better way to pay homage to Joe Thomas than to make his the next name to hang alongside the Hall of Famers — especially since Thomas will likely be the next Brown to have his bust displayed in Canton?

Thomas retired on March 14 after 11 seasons with the Browns.

Anyone who follows the team knows the numbers — 10 Pro Bowls in his first 10 years, 10,363 consecutive snaps, 10 straight losing seasons with the Browns after they were 10-6 his rookie year.

A triceps injury suffered Oct. 22 in a game against the Titans ended his streak and his 2017 season, but knee and back injuries over the years ended his career.

“This was an extremely difficult decision, but the right one for me and my family,” Thomas said in announcing his retirement. “Playing in the NFL has taken a toll on my body and I can no longer physically compete at the level I need to.”

Thomas was athletic, a tactician and so consumed

with his job as a left tackle charged with protecting his quarterback and blocking for his running backs that he rarely paid attention when the Browns’ defense was on the field. He would make light of not knowing the routes the receivers were running or what the quarterback was seeing from the pocket.

The Browns averaged just 4.3 victories a season in the 10 years after his rookie season. They are 1-31 over the last two seasons. Thomas blocked for 20 starting quarterbacks.

It is a shame Thomas, 33, wasted a glorious career in futility, yet he never allowed the team’s record to affect the way he played. He was an example on how to prepare and how to act as a professional for every player in the Browns’ locker room. Head coach Hue Jackson will miss that as much as he will miss Thomas’ blocking.

For some unfathomable reason, fans got down on

Thomas in recent years. Some on Twitter said he was going through the motions and getting rich on his reputation. Anyone who paid attention to how the pass blocking on the left side of the line collapsed after his injury might change their opinion of how he played.

As busy as the Browns have been making trades and signing free agents, they now have a hole at left tackle. Shon Coleman could move from right tackle to left tackle, but that isn’t a permanent fix.

The Browns, aware Thomas would probably retire, signed Chris Hubbard of the Steelers to play right tackle so Coleman could move to the left side. But this alters the draft strategy. Now Dorsey will likely spend pick 33, 35 or 64 on a left tackle.

Dorsey has to find a way to fill the hole left by Thomas retiring for everything else he has done in this massive rebuild to have an optimum payoff.

For now, though, it is time to recognize one of the best players in Browns history by adding his name to the Ring of Honor.

“From the moment I was drafted, the city embraced me in a way that I could never fully describe,” Thomas said. “I am proud to call Cleveland home. The loyalty and passion of the fans is unmatched, and it was an honor to play in front of them for the past 11 years.

“I would like to thank all of the coaches, teammates, staff, fans and everyone who has shown me support throughout my career. Even though I will be hanging up my cleats, I will always be a Cleveland Brown.”

It’s unfortunate for the Browns, and Thomas, that he is retiring just as the Browns are on the verge of becoming relevant again.

Schudel can be reached at jschudel@news-herald. com; @jsproinsider on Twitter.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE Joe Thomas announced his retirement on March 14, after 11 seasons with the Browns.