x
Breaking News
More () »

4 potential replacements for Joe Thomas at left tackle for the Cleveland Browns

The 10-time Pro Bowl selection announced his retirement from football on Wednesday.

CLEVELAND -- For the first time since 2006, the Cleveland Browns will enter their upcoming season with a starting left tackle not named Joe Thomas.

Who that player will be, however, remains unclear.

Following the retirement of Thomas, who ended his 11-year career on Wednesday, Cleveland has no clear succession plan for protecting its quarterback's blindside. What the Browns do have, though, are options when it comes to replacing the player who was responsible for playing an NFL record 10,363 consecutive snaps from 2007-17.

Those options include:

Shone Coleman

It's possible that Thomas' replacement might have already been inside the building for the Browns.

A third-round pick in 2016, Shone Coleman started all 16 games for Cleveland last season -- albeit at right tackle. But with his 6-foot-7, 310-pound frame and natural athleticism, it wouldn't be hard to imagine Coleman switching to left tackle, the same position where he started for two seasons at Auburn.

After what was an inconsistent 2017 campaign, Coleman would need to show drastic improvement for the Browns to feel good about entering the upcoming season with him as their starting left tackle. But given who it is that player will be replacing, it's hard to imagine many where that winds up being the case.

Credit: Shon Coleman, Browns, Cleveland Browns, Joe Thomas
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Chris Hubbard

After spending the first five years of his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chris Hubbard opted to sign with the team's AFC North rival, agreeing to a 5-year, $37.5 million deal with the Browns earlier this week.

Although he has spent the bulk of his pro career at right tackle, the 26-year-old also has experience playing on the left side of the line. Experience for the former undrafted free agent, however, is a potential issue, as Hubbard has started just 14 games in his NFL career.

Nevertheless, Hubbard possesses plenty of upside and with the contract he was just given, it's clear Cleveland has high expectations for the UAB product. Hubbard, however, told reporters on Thursday that he was under the impression that he'd be spending his Browns career at right tackle.

"I came here to play right tackle," he said.

Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Spencer Drango

When Thomas' season -- and career -- ended due to a torn triceps in the 2017 season, he was replaced by second-year player Spencer Drango. And while the Baylor product played well at times, he wasn't consistent enough to warrant being anointed Thomas' long-term successor just yet.

But with Hubbard expected to start at right tackle, that would leave either Coleman or Drango the likeliest candidate to start on the left side of the line. At the very least, look for Drango to serve as one of the team's top backups and potentially push for playing time should the starting left tackle falter.

Mike McGlinchey

With their war chest of draft picks, the Browns could always wait until April to select Thomas' successor.

Selecting an offensive tackle at No. 1 or No. 4 is probably out of the question for Cleveland, but it's also possible that the Browns could trade down -- or back up -- with its sights set on an offensive lineman.

If that's the case, Notre Dame's Mike McGlinchey would make a lot of sense somewhere in between picks No. 10 and 15. The 6-foot-8, 312-pound player is considered one of the top offensive tackles in the draft after starting for three seasons for the Fighting Irish.

Other potential draft targets include Texas' Connor Williams, Oklahoma's Orlando Brown Jr. and Ohio State's Jamarco Jones.

Before You Leave, Check This Out