http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2013/01/cleveland_browns_joe_thomas_ha.htmlCleveland Browns' Joe Thomas has risen above the losing to put himself on a 'Hall of Fame path
By Tom Reed, The Plain Dealer
on January 26, 2013 at 7:00 PM
CLEVELAND, Ohio – In his first six NFL seasons, Browns left tackle Joe Thomas has made annual trips to Honolulu seem as routine as ones to Baltimore, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.
Heading into Sunday night’s Pro Bowl, just five players have been selected by their peers to the last five all-star games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. But among the decorated handful -- which includes Baltimore’s Ed Reed, San Francisco’s Patrick Willis, Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald and Dallas’ DeMarcus Ware -- Thomas holds a dubious distinction:
He’s the only one never to appear in a playoff game.
Put another way, Fitzgerald, Reed and Willis will have had as many combined Super Bowl appearances (three) in the past five seasons as Thomas has had head coaches in the same span.
Three Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive linemen said Thomas' ability to rise above the constant losing speaks highly of his talent and his prospects for the future.
“One of the things I love about Joe is the consistent effort he gives you,” former Browns and Buffalo guard Joe DeLamielleure said. “It doesn’t matter whether he’s 1-15 or 15-1, you are getting the same effort and that’s the mark of a great player.”
DeLamielleure and fellow former linemen Anthony Munoz and Dan Dierdorf believe Thomas has the potential to join them in Canton. Obviously, he needs to remain productive and healthy, unlike former Jacksonville tackle Tony Boselli, who saw a terrific start to a career cut short by injury in 2001. Thomas, meanwhile, hasn’t missed an offensive snap since being drafted by the Browns in 2007.
He has become one of 15 players to make to it to the Pro Bowl in each of his first six years. Of that select group, 13 have reached the Hall of Fame.
“Let’s not fit Joe for the yellow (HOF) jacket yet,” said Dierdorf, a Canton native. “But is he on a Hall of Fame path? Of course he is. There is no question about that.”
Thomas famously went fishing on Lake Michigan rather than attend the 2007 draft. As a rookie, he admitted to Canton aspirations, yet he said this week it’s not an all-consuming goal.
“I think about it when people ask me about it I guess,” Thomas said by phone from Hawaii. “It’s not something you think about during the season. It’s a body of work that you put together over the length of a career. I’m just focused on the next day.”
Thomas, a three-time first-team All Pro, wants more than anything to start winning. He’s eclipsed five victories only once in six years. Thomas said he’s excited to reunite with coach Rob Chudzinski, who served as Thomas’ first offensive coordinator in 2007. He hopes to avoid the fate of DeLamielleure, a six-time Pro Bowler who never won a playoff game in 13 seasons.
Thomas anchors a Browns line that figures to be the strength of the offense for the foreseeable future with center Alex Mack, a Pro Bowl alternate, and rookie Mitchell Schwartz.
“What a luxury to join a team that has a Joe Thomas,” Dierdorf said of Schwartz. “You don’t have to watch tape of anyone else. When there are few great tackles in the league, coaches will take (highlights) of those guys regardless of what teams they play for and show it to their linemen. Schwartz doesn’t have to do anything but look at the other tackle on his team. You cannot overestimate what that means for a young player.”
The three hall-of-famers all spoke of Thomas’ size (6-6, 312 pounds), long arms and athleticism. While most fans are riveted to the flight of the pass or how it’s being defended, the likes of Munoz, Dierdorf and DeLamielleure focus on the line play.
Munoz, an 11-time Pro Bowler with Cincinnati, said Thomas’ agility for his size helps set him apart. He was responsible for just three sacks and 10 quarterback hurries this season, according to ProFootballFocus.com
“I really love watching him play,” Munoz said. “He’s not one of these 340-pound guys. He’s big, but lean and he’s great to watch in space. Some guys have trouble blocking in space, but Joe is so athletic he does it very well.”
Dierdorf, a six-time Pro Bowler with the old St. Louis Cardinals, raves about Thomas’ balance. He believes offensive tackle and cornerback rely more on technique than other positions and that it’s a foundation for Thomas’ success.
“Being a technician is so important,” Dierdorf said. “You have to set the right way, your knees have to be bent to certain degree, you can only bend so much at the waist. ... His technique is one of his strongest suits.”
Thomas is one of three Browns represented in Sunday’s game. Kicker Phil Dawson is making his Pro Bowl debut, while special teams standout Josh Cribbs got in as an alternate. Dierdorf said the term “Pro Bowler” is becoming diluted because so many beg out due to injury. He added the NFL's decision to move the game to the week before the Super Bowl also has created the need for more alternates due to the fact selected players like Reed and Willis can’t participate because of Super Bowl preparations.
The CBS analyst wants historians and other chroniclers of the sport to be discriminating when describing a Pro Bowler so as not to shortchange the accomplishments of someone like Thomas.
“There are guys playing in Pro Bowls now that are fourth alternates and they get credit for being a Pro Bowler,” Dierdorf said. “I’m sorry but Pro Bowls have become completely devalued. ... They should put an asterisk next to Joe’s name to denote he’s been selected for every Pro Bowl.
“A player that good deserves that kind of distinction.”
And maybe some playoff games before his career ends.
