Getty Former Cleveland Browns OL Joe Thomas
The Cleveland Browns have a lot of shiny toys on offense — from star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to running back Nick Chubb and franchise quarterback Baker Mayfield.
But what became quickly apparent during Sunday’s beatdown at the hands of the Tennessee Titans is that the Browns need some help in the trenches for those guys to shine, as Mayfield was under constant duress — getting sacked five times — and Chubb had very limited running room.
What didn’t help is that the Browns had to dig deep down on their depth chart to piece together a line, with tackle Greg Robinson getting ejected and his replacement Kendall Lamm leaving with an injury.
According to the Browns official site, Robinson’s ejection and the subsequent injury to Lamm forced Chris Hubbard to line up at left tackle and Justin McCray, who was acquired from the Packers last week, to play right tackle. That was the setup for more than half of Cleveland’s offensive snaps.
Browns Fan Urges Joe Thomas to Come Out of Retirement
So what are the options for the Browns going forward? Redskins disgruntled seven-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Trent Williams is one, but it will cost the team options. There’s always the option of signing a free agent, but at this point in the year, the market is fairly bare bones.
How about this solution: convince future Hall of Famer and Browns lifer Joe Thomas to beef up, get out from behind the mic and come back to protect Baker Mayfield’s blindside.
Thomas — who announced his retirement in March of last year — is now a visible member of the NFL media and has lost a tremendous amount of weight since his playing days. However, at least one fan thinks that with some good Cleveland cooking, he could be ready to make his return to the gridiron.
Thomas responded to the fan on Twitter who said that big No. 73 should get some free meals to “fatten him up for his return.”
Even at a lighter weight, the Browns would welcome Thomas and his 10 Pro Bowls in a second. Plus, he would be a massive figure in the locker room.
Of course, this is just a pipe dream, but man, would it be awesome.
Greg Robinson Apologizes for Being Poster Boy For Browns Bad Behavior
GettyBrowns offensive tackle Greg Robinson.
Robinson’s ejection for kicking an opponent was just the icing on the cake during a day that featured 18 flags, multiple personal fouls and nearly 200 yards worth of penalties.
He apologized on Monday during a press conference.
“It is something you hate to see,” Robinson said. “I hurt the team obviously, and I feel like if I could have it back, I would do things differently.”
Robinson added that he didn’t mean to kick Titans safety Kenny Vaccaro on the play.
“I didn’t know he was even falling toward me, but as I hit the ground I saw him and my foot just made contact,” Robinson said. “I think it looked worse than it was.
“I don’t ever want to be labeled a dirty player. I try my best to keep the game clean because I know sometimes we are targeted based on reputation. It’s something I can’t control. I just have to play each play one play at a time.”
The Browns will get another chance to get their first win against the Jets on Monday Night Football.
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