Combine tidbits: The Joe Thomas effect

nerdmann · Joined: 06 Aug 2007 Posts: 57

http://blogs.jsonline.com/packers/archive/2008/02/23/more-combine-tidbits.aspx

Combine tidbits: The Joe Thomas effect
By Rob Reischel
Saturday, Feb 23 2008, 08:28 AM
Indianapolis - Michigan's Jake Long is expected to be the first offensive
tackle taken in this draft and could go in the top three picks. If that
happens, Long should send a thank you note to former University of Wisconsin
standout Joe Thomas.
Left tackle has always been a coveted position in the NFL. But after
Oakland's Robert Gallery - the No. 2 overall selection in 2004 - bombed,
some teams wondered if it was worth the gamble to take a tackle so high.

Thomas helped prove in 2007 that tackles can indeed help reverse a team's
fortunes.

Thomas, who played his high school ball at Brookfield Central, was taken
third overall by the Cleveland Browns last year. Thomas had a sensational
first season and finished second in the offensive rookie of the year voting
behind Minnesota's Adrian Peterson.

The Browns also jumped from a 4-12 season in 2006 to a 10-6 campaign in
2007. And Cleveland general manager Phil Savage said Thomas was a huge
reason why.

"If you can fix your offensive line, some of the other players have a chance
to perform," said Savage, who was speaking here at the NFL scouting combine.
"I know the addition of Joe helped a guy like Jamal Lewis, our quarterbacks,
Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow."

Browns coach Romeo Crennel said he wasn't at all surprised by Thomas' first
season.

"No. Hey, we'd done a lot of work on Joe and we knew Joe had all the
qualities," Crennel said. "Me personally I'm always concerned about a
rookie, how he's going to do. But as training camp went on, I saw what Joe
was able to do.

"The first time when (Kamerion) Wimbley rushed against him, he didn't get
his hands on him. But every time after that, he knew he had to buckle down
and tighten it up, then it was a battle for the rest of the camp. That
showed me he was a competitive guy, he was well grounded and he would have a
chance to be a good player. I didn't know he would be as good as he was
right off the bat, but he got in there and he did good."

Archived from group: alt>sports>football>pro>gb-packers

Geoff Blankenmeyer · Joined: 06 Aug 2007 Posts: 10

nerdmann wrote:

> http://blogs.jsonline.com/packers/archive/2008/02/23/more-combine-tidbits.aspx
>
> Combine tidbits: The Joe Thomas effect
> By Rob Reischel
> Saturday, Feb 23 2008, 08:28 AM
> Indianapolis - Michigan's Jake Long is expected to be the first offensive
> tackle taken in this draft and could go in the top three picks. If that
> happens, Long should send a thank you note to former University of Wisconsin
> standout Joe Thomas.
> Left tackle has always been a coveted position in the NFL. But after
> Oakland's Robert Gallery - the No. 2 overall selection in 2004 - bombed,
> some teams wondered if it was worth the gamble to take a tackle so high.

That dishonor could just as well go to Phony Tony Madarich, #2 overall
in `97 while Thomas had his predecessor in `04's Orlando Pace.

> Thomas helped prove in 2007 that tackles can indeed help reverse a team's
> fortunes.
>
> Thomas, who played his high school ball at Brookfield Central, was taken
> third overall by the Cleveland Browns last year. Thomas had a sensational
> first season and finished second in the offensive rookie of the year voting
> behind Minnesota's Adrian Peterson.
>
> The Browns also jumped from a 4-12 season in 2006 to a 10-6 campaign in
> 2007. And Cleveland general manager Phil Savage said Thomas was a huge
> reason why.
>
> "If you can fix your offensive line, some of the other players have a chance
> to perform," said Savage, who was speaking here at the NFL scouting combine.
> "I know the addition of Joe helped a guy like Jamal Lewis, our quarterbacks,
> Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow."
>
> Browns coach Romeo Crennel said he wasn't at all surprised by Thomas' first
> season.
>
> "No. Hey, we'd done a lot of work on Joe and we knew Joe had all the
> qualities," Crennel said. "Me personally I'm always concerned about a
> rookie, how he's going to do. But as training camp went on, I saw what Joe
> was able to do.
>
> "The first time when (Kamerion) Wimbley rushed against him, he didn't get
> his hands on him. But every time after that, he knew he had to buckle down
> and tighten it up, then it was a battle for the rest of the camp. That
> showed me he was a competitive guy, he was well grounded and he would have a
> chance to be a good player. I didn't know he would be as good as he was
> right off the bat, but he got in there and he did good."
>
>
>

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