Has Cleveland Browns franchise stalwart Joe Thomas changed his tune on selecting a franchise quarterback?
"I know that Mitchell Trubisky is probably the guy that has the most upside potential in a pro-style offense in the NFL, and I don't see those other guys as obvious fits in NFL offenses," Thomas said on WKRK-FM in Cleveland, via Ohio.com. "So if you're going to take a guy, he might be your guy you want to take. With that being said, I think he's only started for a year, so he's got a lot of improvement to make before he is ready to be the starting quarterback."
Back in January, the 10-time Pro Bowler told me that the odds of hitting on a quarterback would not be conducive to reaching in the first round of the NFL draft.
"You have to accept a couple of tough years," Thomas said on the same day he told the Dan Patrick Show that the team needs to be careful. "That's just the way it is. There are no quick fixes in the NFL. You could get lucky and a franchise quarterback falls into your lap, and then you turn your franchise around. But the chances of that happening, even with a top-five pick, are probably 25 percent. You can't really bet the house on the odds when it's only 25 percent."
Of course, a lot has changed since then. The Browns made some responsible noise in free agency and now have above average-to-great offensive linemen at four of their five slots. Based on those acquisitions alone, they are far more prepared to draft and develop a rookie passer than they were a year ago.
I feel the Browns kept Thomas for this reason in particular. It is nearly impossible to mold a rookie quarterback with complete chaos on his blind side. Now, Cleveland has the ability to cut off pressure from the interior as well.
Will Trubisky, the Ohio-born 22-year-old, be the beneficiary of all the Browns' hard work?