Tag Archives: Joe Thomas

MY TOP 10 CLEVELAND ATHLETES

Posted: Sep 17, 2014 by . Filed under Blog Posts, Feature Articles | 38 Comments

1) LeBron James – Yes he’s back and better than ever. Not only is he Cleveland’s best athlete, he’s one of the best athletes in the world. This isn’t a bad resume – 2 NBA Titles, 4 NBA MVP trophies, 2 NBA Finals MVP trophies, an 8-Time All NBA First Team selection, a 10-time All-Star and a 2-Time All-Star game MVP.

Pre-Powder Toss

2) Kyrie Irving – “Uncle Drew” just picked up another MVP trophy, this time at the FIBA Basketball World Championship after leading Team USA to the gold medal. Plus he’s a two-time NBA All-Star and was last year’s All-Star game MVP.  Oh yeah, he’s also a former NBA Rookie of the Year and a 3-point shootout champion and a rookie game MVP.

Kyrie Irving Team USA Free Throw Line

3) Joe Thomas – He plays one of the most important positions in football at left tackle, and is a 7-time Pro Bowler and a 4-time NFL All-Pro selection.

4) Kevin Love – He’s never played a game for the Cavs, but he will this season and hopefully for many more after that. The former Timberwolves power forward acquired this off-season in a three team trade is a double/double machine averaging 19.2ppg and 12.2rpg in his six year NBA career. He’s a 3-time All-Star, a 2-time All-NBA second teamer, led the NBA in rebounding in 2011 and was also voted the league’s most improved player that season, and like his new teammate Kyrie Irving, an NBA 3-point shootout champion in 2012. Oh yeah, last year in Minnesota he averaged 26.1ppg and 12.5rpg.

Kevin Love Jersey photo

5) Joe Haden – He’s becoming one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL and was named to his first Pro Bowl last year, as well as 2nd team All-Pro. How important is he to the Browns? He’s missed 7 games since being drafted in the first round by Cleveland in 2010 and the Browns are (0-7) when he doesn’t play.

Joe Haden Mini Camp 2014

6) Michael Brantley – He may be the best “Player To Be Named Later” in any trade in Indians history. He was the “PTBNL” in the Brewers-Indians deal in 2008 for C.C. Sabathia.  Since then he’s become the Tribe’s best all-around player and was named an All-Star for the first time this season when he hit .322 with 15 homers and 63 rbi’s in the first half of the 2014 season. He’s on pace for a .320-20hr-100rbi season.

Michael Brantley swinging photo

7) Corey Kluber – He came to the Indians as a no-name player in the Jake Westbrook three team trade back in July of 2010. Since then he’s slowly climbed the ladder from a guy who had struggled to make the roster, to one of the best pitchers in the American League this season, and the undisputed ace of the Indians staff. After going 11-5 with a 3.85era last season, Kluber has followed that up with a 16-9 mark so far, with a 2.54 earned run average.

Corey Kluber close up photo

8) Karlos Dansby – The self-proclaimed best linebacker in the NFL has only played two games for the Browns but has made an immediate impact. He picked off Ben Roethlisbrger in the opener in Pittsburgh and then came up with defensive play of the game against the Saints, sacking Drew Brees late in the fourth quarter to force New Orleans to punt the ball which then that allowed Brian Hoyer to lead the Browns down the field for a game winning field goal. His play on the field so far has been outstanding and his leadership in the locker room with a young team may be even more important. With the Cardinals last season, he was an NFL 2nd team All-Pro selection.

9) Yan Gomes – Talk about coming out of nowhere! Well Toronto is somewhere, that’s where Gomes was acquired from in a trade in 2012. After spending time at Triple-A Columbus in 2013 to start the season, Gomes got called up a second time when back-up catcher Lou Marson went down with an injury and hasn’t been back since. In fact he’s become the Indians every day catcher because of his solid defensive skills, his ability to call a game and manage a pitching staff and his offense and power continue to improve with every at bat. Gomes is hitting .286 with 19 homers and 64 runs batted in so far this season.

10) Alex Mack – A 2-time Pro Bowler and an NFL 2nd team All-Pro selection last season, Mack anchors the Browns offensive line and hasn’t missed a game since being selected in the first round of the 2009 draft.

Honorable Mention:

Josh Gordon, Donte Whitner, Dion Waiters, Carlos Santana, Shane Austin

POSITION BREAKDOWN: CLEVELAND BROWNS vs PITTSBURGH STEELERS – OFFENSIVE LINE

Posted: Sep 1, 2014 by . Filed under Blog Posts, Feature Articles | 33 Comments

I would take the Browns offensive line over the Steelers offensive line 10 times out of 10. Joe Thomas is the best of the bunch on both teams. He and fellow first round pick Alex Mack have lived up to their potential from when they were drafted and then some. Rookie Joel Bitonio will make some mistakes, but sandwiched between two pro bowlers will help cover up some of those mistakes. John Greco is average at right guard, but again playing next to Mack will help him. The weak spot on the Browns is right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, but Kyle Shanahan should be able to help him out thanks to the fact they kept a true fullback in Ray Agnew.

Brian Hoyer Drop Back Throw

Cleveland’s O-Line should be solid in the new zone blocking scheme and allow Ben Tate to run the ball at a four yards per carry average or better. The Steelers have shown in the preseason to be very vulnerable against the run up the middle. Also expect a short, quick passing game in which Bryan Hoyer gets the ball out of his hands quickly to allow the receivers and backs to gain yards after the catch. This should help keep the sack numbers down against Dick Lebeau’s zone blitzing scheme Hoyer and maybe Johnny Manziel will see on Sunday. The Browns depth isn’t great, in fact it’s average at best, but the starters should be solid. If those starters can help create holes for Tate to run through and keep Hoyer from getting hit and sacked, the Browns offense will be effective against a Steelers defense that is both inexperienced and old at the same time. Plus if the Steelers can’t generate a pass rush, it makes their secondary very beatable, even with the horrible wide receivers the Browns have.

The Steelers offensive line has been one of their biggest weaknesses the last two seasons and a huge reason why they’ve been (8-8) over that span and failed to make the playoffs. They’ve used four first or second round picks on the O-Line over the last five years and so far only one has proved to be worth it, Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey. He’s their best lineman, but he has had trouble staying healthy, missing 19 games in his first four years in the NFL. Pouncey is healthy to start this season, and he will need to stay healthy to anchor an average at best line, that is expected to keep the Steelers most valuable player Ben Roethlisberger upright and healthy. If “Big Ben’s” time on the field is cut short due to injury, the entire Steelers offense will fall apart.

So if I’m Mike Pettine and Jim O’Neil on Sunday in Pittsburgh I’d be dialing up blitzes and sending as much pressure as you can at the likes of tackles Kelvin Beachum (LT) and Marcus Gilbert (RT) and inside against guards David DeCastro and Ramon Foster. Pressure on Roethlisberger is the one way for the Browns to have a chance to win this game in week one. Ben is known to try and make something out of nothing, or to hold on to the ball to long, so that’s where Barkevious Mingo and Paul Kruger and Donte Whitner have to create turnovers and make impactful, game changing plays and there’s a good chance against this line in week one that it could happen.

OFFENSIVE LINE ADVANTAGE  – BROWNS

MY 2014 BROWNS PROJECTED STARTERS FOR WEEK ONE

Posted: Jul 26, 2014 by . Filed under Blog Posts, Feature Articles | 34 Comments

This is of course subject to change based on injury, practice and game performance, but this is how I see the 2014 Cleveland Browns lining up on Sunday, September 7th at Pittsburgh.

I’ve said it all along and I’m sticking to it, I believe it would be smart to start Brian Hoyer at quarterback for the first three games of the season if healthy, and see how he does. If he plays well and you’re winning you stick with him. If he struggles, or the offense struggles and you’re 1-2, or 0-3 after playing Pittsburgh, New Orleans and Baltimore then use the bye week in week #4, to reevaluate the QB position and decide if it’s time for Johnny Manziel to be your starter in game four at Tennessee.Johnny Manziel Browns SI Cover Photo

On defense I know that the Browns spent a lot of money in free agency on outside linebacker Paul Kruger last year, but he was a big disappointment. I believe there’s a great chance for second year linebacker and last year’s first round pick Barkevious Mingo to step up in camp and earn a starting job there. I also believe that this year’s first round pick, Justin Gilbert will beat out Buster Skrine for the right corner back spot and start from day one.

Here are my projected starters as of (7-26-14) for the Cleveland Browns:

OFFENSE

QB- Brian Hoyer

RB- Ben Tate

WR- Andrew Hawkins

WR- Miles Austin

WR- Nate Burleson

TE- Jordan Cameron

LT- Joe Thomas,

LG- Joel Bitonio

C – Alex Mack

RG- John Greco

RT- Mitchell Schwartz

 

DEFENSE 

LDE- Ahtyba Rubin

NT- Phil Taylor

RDE- Desmond Bryant

LOLB- Barkevious Mingo

LILB- Craig Robertson

RILB- Karlos Dansby

ROLB- Jabaal Sheard

LCB- Joe Haden

SS- Donte Whitner

FS- Tashaun Gibson

RCB- Justin Gilbert