Joe Thomas should still be on the Denver Broncos radar
The Denver Broncos were close to acquiring Cleveland Browns left tackle at the trade deadline in 2015. Acquiring him should still be on the table…
The Denver Broncos will undoubtedly be seeking the best possible options for their offensive line in 2017, and that means trading for Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Joe Thomas has to be on the table.
The Browns and Broncos nearly came together on a trade prior to the deadline in 2015, where the Broncos’ offensive line was in a state of disarray before ultimately pulling it together for the exact amount of time they needed to in order for the Broncos to win Super Bowl 50. That major weakness was seemingly rectified in 2016 when the Broncos acquired free agent left tackle Russell Okung, who has a four-year team option on his contract coming up.
It seems almost certain the Broncos will not pick up the four-year option for Okung, but bringing him back all together hasn’t been ruled out, for obvious reasons. The alternatives are not a certainty though the Broncos could definitely get creative.
They’d be dealing with a new front office in Cleveland, but Denver has the ammunition the Browns could potentially be interested in for a trade of their All-Pro left tackle.
Thomas carries a hefty cap hit, but for good reason. It’s nothing out of the question as far as left tackles in the NFL are concerned, and in fact, compared to what the market has been for linemen, it’s a pretty fair deal. Thomas is scheduled to account for $11.5 million against the cap in 2017, while Okung’s option is for $11.7 million.
It wouldn’t be much of a savings, but the possibility of adding Okung for the next couple of years gives the Broncos stability at a position of desperate need, and would also allow for them to continue to try and develop a left tackle of the future.
What would it take to get Thomas off the Browns’ hands? That’s where we come to a road block. The price to acquire Thomas is certainly going to be high, and he has just two years remaining on his contract. The Broncos don’t have a ton of holes, but they have enough that it wouldn’t be wise for them to mortgage the future of the team on one player when there are alternatives available.
The Browns already have two first round picks (1st and 12th) and probably wouldn’t be averse to a third (the Broncos own the 20th overall pick) so the teams would likely have to get creative, which usually doesn’t bode well for a trade like this happening.
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Would the Broncos consider parting with cornerback Bradley Roby? They are already losing Kayvon Webster to free agency, so that’s likely not an option. What about backup pass rusher Shaquil Barrett? Could the Broncos pair him with a couple of draft picks and make a deal happen?
The ideal scenario for the Broncos would be to give up as little as possible in this year’s draft, and perhaps take their chances on giving up a pick in next year’s draft. With just two years remaining on his deal, the Broncos likely wouldn’t go overboard, but they would probably pay a fair price to get Thomas.
If the Browns were in a generous mood, they could get Shaquil Barrett (or someone) this year, and the Broncos could offer them a conditional pick in 2018, something like a second round pick or third round pick that could escalate to a first rounder depending on the team’s success in 2017.
There were rumors the Browns were interested in Barrett before, and it looks like Shane Ray is set to be the Broncos’ starting OLB opposite Von Miller for the foreseeable future. Barrett is team controlled the next couple of seasons, which would be nice for the Browns, but he has also flashed big time potential over the last couple of seasons.
Maybe that wouldn’t be enough to get the deal done, and perhaps the Broncos could sweeten a deal by adding one of their five top 100 selections in this year’s draft to tempt Cleveland. One thing is certain, though, and it’s that the Broncos have to find a way to upgrade the offensive line. If they choose to move on from Russell Okung, they should definitely be having discussions about bringing in Joe Thomas.