The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Thomas praises Taylor and Mayfield as QBs
Jeff Schudel talks to nowretired Joe Thomas who has good things to say about Tyrod Taylor and Baker Mayfield. Plus, Schudel comments on Kevin Love trade rumors and Andrew Miller’s rehab.
The Browns finally have a quarterback teammates can believe in, and Joe Thomas won’t be part of the experience.
Thomas, on the same day in March the Browns acquired Tyrod Taylor from the Buffalo Bills for a thirdround draft choice, announced his retirement after 10½ seasons has the Browns’ left tackle.
A streak of 10,363 consecutive snaps was ended by a triceps injury. Thomas would have had medical clearance to resume his career in 2018, but he decided his body just couldn’t take the physical demands another season would out on it.
“I think I’m really comfortable stepping away because I know my body just doesn’t have it anymore,” Thomas said on June 5 before throwing out the first pitch at Progressive Field prior to the game between the Indians and Brewers. “I’m sure I’ll (miss playing) once the season starts in September and I’m watching my guys.
“I’ll miss playing in the games and being in those locker rooms. I am retired, but I still spend a lot of time in Berea.”
Thomas is continuing his rehab from the triceps injury. He attends meetings and practice. He has lost 40 pounds from his playing weight of 310 pounds. His blue eyes are sharp. He looks younger than when he was playing.
Thomas is helping Shon Coleman, rookie Austin Corbett, Roderick Johnson and anyone else who might take over at left tackle along with other offensive linemen. He attends practice and meetings, where he has been impressed by Taylor and rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield.
“Tyrod is a really, really good quarterback,” Thomas said. “I don’t want to get into hyperbole here. But he took the Buffalo Bills to the playoffs last year for the first time in 18 years. He’s probably the best quarterback we’ve had here since Derek Anderson made the Pro Bowl (2007) my rookie year.”
The Browns were 10-6 in 2007, but missed the playoffs. They have had sub-.500 records in the 10 years since then.
Taylor was 22-20 in three years as a starter for Buffalo. The Bills lost a first-round game to Jacksonville, 10-3.
“Tyrod has an opportunity here to exceed what he did in Buffalo right away here,” Thomas said. “Our offense is leaps and bounds ahead of where we’ve been in the last 10 years.”
Thomas gave a glowing report about Mayfield, too. The longer Mayfield is in a Browns uniform, the more the baseless comparisons to Johnny Manziel fall away.
“It’s great having a guy like that as a rookie,” Thomas said. “He’s already smart, but I think he recognizes the work it takes to be an All-Pro quarterback, to be a starting quarterback. He’s willing to put that work in, which is awesome.”
Coach Hue Jackson has established Taylor as the starting quarterback. That will likely be re-emphasized when mandatory minicamp begins June 12.
Love for sale?
The NBA season drags on so long that the time between the last game of the Finals and the start of the new league year on July 1 is a matter of only weeks.
Kevin Love was a hot name on the trade rumor mill last year. The same thing will likely happen this summer. Love, in his fourth season with the Cavaliers, almost expects it. His preference, though, is to stay with the Cavs.
“I always wanted to be here, always wanted to win here,” he said before Game 4 of the Finals. “But as you know, it’s probably going to come up. It always does. It’s also good to be wanted. But at the same time, it’s going to be interesting to see what happens. We just don’t know.
“There’s been so much overhaul and so many things that have happened this year, particularly with our team, that you just don’t know when July comes and free agency hits. There could be something interesting that comes up for this team.”
The NBA draft is June 21 — 13 days after the Warriors eliminated the Cavs in the Finals. The Cavaliers, by virtue of the Nets’ 2018 first-round acquired in the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to Boston, pick eighth. General Manager Koby Altman has to decide whether to use the pick or trade it for an established player to make the Cavs better faster.
The draft is 10 days before free agency and trades can be made. But what the Cavs do in the draft could be a clue about what they plan to do with Love.
Just as free agency negotiations in the NFL are done in behind-the-curtain meetings before they can become official, NBA general managers can feel out trades before the bell rings signifying the opening of the market.
“Knowing that it’s a business — I know that’s cliché to say — take it in stride,” Love said. “But that’s just what I’ve had to do. Keep my mouth shut and go about my business and work and be ready and be prepared for this team next year.”
Love has averaged 17.1 points and 10 rebounds a game in his four seasons with the Cavaliers. He has played and started 271 of a possible 328 games in the regular season.
Tribe won’t rush Miller
Left-handed reliever Andrew Miller, a cornerstone of the Indians bullpen, might have to wear a brace on his chronically sore right knee once he returns to the lineup. Manager Terry Francona isn’t precisely sure when that will be.
Miller made 11 appearances totaling 10 innings without allowing a run until a hamstring injury suffered April 25 landed him on the disabled his. He returned to the lineup on May 11 and pitched six more games before a knee injury forced the Indians to place him on the DL again. He gave up a total of seven runs, all earned, in three of those six games.
Francona told reporters in Detroit that Miller threw 30 pitches in a bullpen session on June 8. That’s a heavy load, more than in any of the 17 games he has pitched this season.
“Where it goes from here, I don’t think we know,” Francona said. “Obviously, he’s going to have to throw more.
“One, we just want to see how he bounces back, first of all, because that’s one of the huge challenges. And then, if he’s bouncing back, then you can start to think, OK, working on his pitches, locating, things like that that are kind of fun to talk about, as opposed to just health.”
Francona is hoping Miller can succeed without the brace. But the trainers are experimenting with the notion if they think it will help.
“I know that they were talking about getting some braces in,” Francona said “I don’t know if they’ve come yet or if he’s worn them, but the fact that he’s throwing the bullpen without it, I think, is a good sign.
“Long-term, they’ve talked about a few different things. I don’t think they’ve gotten to that yet. They’re trying to feel like he can do it without it, which is a good thing.”
Francona isn’t certain if Miller will need a minor league rehab assignment before being activated.
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Reach Schudel at JSchudel@News-Herald. com. On Twitter: @jsproinsider