(Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire) When Hall of Fame lineman Joe Thomas speaks, Cleveland fans are sure to listen. The former No. 3 overall draft choice from the 2007 NFL Draft has an opinion about who the Browns should start at offensive tackle this season, a debate that will continue to make headlines throughout the preseason. In a video clip shared by “Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show” on Twitter, Thomas told host Garrett Bush that second-year offensive tackle Dawand Jones should start this season over veteran tackle Jack Conklin. “Honestly, I would put (Jones) in there as the starter until Jack can prove that he’s back and healthy and that he can replace him,” Thomas said. The #Browns have 3 starting caliber offensive tackles, so who will be the odd man out next year? HOFer @joethomas73 weighed in on that and more on our 500th show today: pic.twitter.com/jORiJ77oKw — Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show (@ultCLEsports) April 24, 2024 Thomas explained that Conklin – who suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 1 last year – would need to show he can come back 100 percent healthy and ready for the year before taking Jones out of the starting lineup. Jones was a fourth-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, and Thomas assessed that few people thought the Browns would get such a talented player at that selection. If Conklin returns healthy and can replace Jones, that’s a luxury few teams have with three quality starting tackles available, Thomas said. Thomas added that the team could look to rotate the starters or move those tackles around to other positions, especially if injuries would take another player out of the starting lineup. The Browns should feel fortunate to have such a quandary, Thomas concluded, as most NFL teams do not have the depth at that position Cleveland currently enjoys. The post Joe Thomas Reveals How Browns Should Approach OL Starters appeared first on Browns Nation. https://www.brownsnation.com/joe-thomas ... -starters/
