Browns left tackle Joe Thomas has been a good employee, and seen a lot of losses in his time and never been a malcontent
But he’s also seen a lot of good players walk out the door, and he’s tired of that.
As he was packing up after another wretched season, Thomas said the Browns organization has to do a better job of securing the players they need for the future.
“One of our biggest mistakes that we’ve made since I’ve been here is not identifying talent early on in their career, after you’ve drafted them, and re-signing them before they get to free agency,” Thomas said, via Dan Labbe of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Last offseason, it was center Alex Mack (Atlanta) and right tackle Mitchell Schwartz (Kansas City), who are now in the playoffs while the Browns had one of the worst offensive lines in the league despite the presence of Thomas.
Of course, those guys left as owner Jimmy Haslam was ushering in another new administration, and that served as an open door.
“Once a guy gets to free agency, he could go anywhere, because all it takes is one team to really fall in love with somebody and throw a big number at them and then they’re gone,” Thomas said. “Now all that effort and energy that you’ve put into developing a young man into a great NFL player is gone, and that draft capital you spent on him is a waste. . . .
“You sometimes hear fans say, ‘Well we were 1-15 with them, we can be 1-15 without them.’ But if you want to be better than 1-15 you have to keep your good players. That’s just the way it goes. You can’t keep getting rid of good players and think you’re going to get better. Anybody with a brain can figure that out.”
When you look at the list of players the Browns have sent out into the world in recent years, you understand Thomas’ frustration. Players such as wide receiver Travis Benjamin and safety Tashaun Gipson left in free agency last offseason. The year before, it was outside linebacker Jabaal Sheard going to the Patriots and safety T.J. Ward going to Denver.
They face more key decisions this offseason, with wide receiver Terrelle Pryor and linebacker Jamie Collins, and perhaps with some stability in a front office the Browns may actually keep a good player or two.