The Cleveland Browns are in a bad way and have purged their roster so that most of the talent has ended up on the cutting room floor. The Browns had a tough time keeping players in Cleveland during the 2016 offseason, however what was particularly shocking is how they handled their star players.
The best part of this team for a couple of years now has been the offensive line led by center Alex Mack, left tackle Joe Thomas and (last season) right tackle Mitchell Schwartz. Mack was released without really a fight, as the 30-year-old linemen left Cleveland for the Atlanta Falcons after signing a 5-year, $45 million dollar contract.
Schwartz was willing to come back and waited to hear from the Browns about a contract, but they told him to head on down the road. Schwartz left the Browns and signed a 5-year, $33 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Browns will now rely on right guard John Greco, center Alvin Bailey, left guard Joel Bitonio, right tackle Austin Pasztor and Thomas at left guard to protect their next franchise quarterback.
The Browns had so many areas to work on, and instead blowing up the offensive line was one of the more questionable moves made this offseason, and realistically it was for nothing. The Browns still have $41 million dollars in cap space but no free agents to sign.
They got rid of Mack and Schwartz for nothing when they could have completely rebuilt the defense based on their trade value. The Browns have one member of the old line left, and that is Thomas. Thomas is one of the captains of the offense, but at 31 he should still stand the same risk as any of his fellow linemen who were unceremoniously ejected from the franchise.
Thomas could fetch a huge price if traded for the right pieces, and the Browns desperately need players on every level. Literally every team in the NFL could use a player with Thomas' talents, especially along the offensive line.
He is a fantastic locker room addition as well as a leader on the field, so if the Browns are going to truly rebuild this franchise from the ground up they should do it right and either land multiple players or draft picks that will change the course of this ball club.
