Camp thoughts Vol. VIII

 

I’m baffled, torn, befuddled and being yanked at from both sides. And strangely (for me) wracked with indecision about it.

 

Should the Browns, in the wake of losing rookie free safety Grant Delpit for the season, go after free agent Earl Thomas, who was unceremoniously booted off the Baltimore Ravens roster the other day?

 

Part of me says why not? The other part wonders whether I’ve taken leave of my senses. I have weighed this mental conundrum to the point where it’ll be much easier to reach a decision by simply using the pros and cons method. Here we go,

 

PRO: Thomas has been a well-decorated free safety for 10 National Football League seasons. Seven Pro Bowls, including last season in Baltimore, three-time 1^st-team All-Pro. What more do you want? Besides, he would fit right in with the Browns and immediately upgrade the secondary, especially the deep secondary.

 

CON: He’s 31 years old and not the outstanding player he used to be. Right now, he’s more of a popular name than a former outstanding football player. His reputation as a playmaker resides in the past. He isn’t getting any younger.

 

PRO: His résumé suggests there is still some fuel left in the tank. Would you rather have Andrew Sendejo or Sheldrick Redwine at free safety or Thomas? I’ll take Thomas every time.

 

CON: He comes in with the reputation as a troublemaker. That’s the reason he became a free agent. He slugged a fellow safety (Chuck Clark) during an argument in Baltimore’s training camp late last week, triggering his release. The Browns don’t need problems like that, especially after all the dysfunction last season.

 

PRO: He is still a playmaker and heaven knows this defense desperately needs players to show up in critical situations. Right now, they have precious few.

 

CON: The reason he is out there is because he wore out his welcome in Seattle, where he starred for nine seasons, and last season with the Ravens. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski doesn’t need a headache and that’s what you get with Thomas.

 

PRO: He has played for winners his entire career. That’s a feeling the Browns haven’t experienced since, well, since they reentered the NFL in 1999.

 

CON: Not certain Browns General Manager Andrew Berry is a fan of Thomas. Adding an aging, seen-his-best-years veteran doesn’t sound like a Berry move. He likes young players with bright futures.

 

PRO: Still, with Thomas dangling out there, the thought of going after him has to be bouncing around between Berry’s ears. It’s awfully enticing.

 

CON: Just remember why he is available. If there’s one thing that really upsets a head coach, it’s discipline issues. Ravens coach John Harbaugh, it seemed, thought long and hard before pulling the plug on Thomas. Discipline in this case overrides talent.

 

PRO: Thomas would provide the Browns with valuable inside information about how to defend against the Ravens' offense, particularly in the season-opening game in Baltimore. That surely must count for something. He knows that Ravens' attack, facing it every day in practice before being jettisoned.

 

CON: It is a big gamble to bring in a newcomer at such a late date. Less than three weeks to the season opener. Better to get Sendejo and Redwine ready for that one.

 

PRO: When you have been the NFL’s doormat franchise for nearly the entire time the last two decades, there is nothing wrong with gambling on Thomas. What do the Browns have to lose? More football games? So what else is new?

 

CON: It bears repeating: Thomas was flat out let go (not even shopped) by one of the heavy favorites to win the Super Bowl. If that doesn’t strike a note of discord, then nothing will. The Browns do not need trouble off the field. They’ll have enough on the field.

 

So . . .

 

After careful consideration, it was close. Both sides made good points. But in the end, what John Harbaugh did in Baltimore weighed the most heavily in the final decision. It was the wisest move.Team over individual.

With a new head coach, new coaching staff and brand new attitude and approach to the 2020 season, the Browns are better off letting Thomas continue his career anywhere but on the lakefront.