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Following a Fine Line to Success
Browns' left side duo of Thomas, Steinbach anchor team strength

By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sportswriter

Published on Thursday, Dec 20, 2007

BEREA: When Browns running back Jamal Lewis saw film clips of University of Wisconsin left tackle Joe Thomas on draft day, Lewis noticed his balance and how he used his hands and thought Thomas could play right away.

Now Lewis is comparing the rookie to the future hall of famer he ran behind for six years in Baltimore.

''Jonathan Ogden is a great player, they have pretty much the same body type, same build. I think he is that next Jonathan Ogden,'' Lewis said Wednesday. He was ignoring 6-foot-9, 345-pound Ogden's three inches and 30 pounds on Thomas and their contrasting styles.

When center Hank Fraley first met left guard Eric Steinbach after they signed with the Browns as free agents on March 3, his first reaction was, ''He's a guard? He's so thin.''

Fraley soon found out that the 6-6, 295-pound five-year veteran is strong and reliable.

''Every day it doesn't matter what's wrong with him or what's going on, he's going to play well. He's just a hard-working guy. He can run, too.''

But in Fraley's eyes, he's no Joe Thomas.

''Joe is just special,'' Fraley said. ''I'm working on being his agent for his next deal. Even if he's good at something, he's trying to become great at it. That's what's great about him.''

While Thomas may be superior to Steinbach in terms of talent, it's hard to separate their contributions to the Browns this season. Cleveland spent heavily to solidify the left side of the line occupied by Kevin Shaffer (now at right tackle) and Joe Andruzzi last season and has reaped the rewards. It gave ex-Bengal Steinbach a seven-year, $49.5 million contract with $17 million guaranteed and signed third overall pick Thomas to a five-year, $43 million deal with $23 million guaranteed.

Rebounding from a 4-12 season in 2006, the Browns are 9-5 and can clinch their first playoff appearance since 2002 with a victory at Cincinnati on Sunday.

Cleveland has allowed 17 sacks through 14 games, tied for second fewest in the league. Its previous low since returning as an expansion team was 35 in 2002. Quarterback Derek Anderson directs the league's 11th-ranked passing attack and Lewis ranks seventh in the NFL in rushing with 1,084 yards.

Asked what Thomas and Steinbach have meant to his game and the offense, Lewis said, ''They meant a lot. You have a great free agent who came in as far as Steinbach and then Joe Thomas being drafted and jumping right in and starting like he did, not giving up sacks, not having a lot of mental errors and going out there and handling his business. Those guys are a great duo on that left side.''

Anderson said Thomas and Steinbach ''have kind of anchored the whole deal, but they've all been playing great and are really the reason we've had success on offense. Without that you can't really do anything. It kind of showed last week when we were able to run the ball the way we were.'' On Sunday, Lewis rushed for 163 yards in blizzard conditions in an 8-0 home victory over Buffalo.

Fraley doesn't know where the Browns would be without the pair.

''It's hard to replace the way they've been playing,'' Fraley said. ''They're feeding off each other. They communicate well and have their own little words out there, that's how they got to jell.''

In Pro Bowl voting announced Tuesday, Thomas and Steinbach were both selected first alternates, which seemed a greater feat for Thomas.

''It's pretty cool,'' Thomas said. ''Rookie linemen don't really ever get any votes. One of my goals coming in was to go to the Pro Bowl and be a hall of famer. Once you gain that reputation, those kinds of things happen.''

In Steinbach's eyes, Thomas is on the way to earning that reputation.

''You see some college guys have great careers and come in the NFL and aren't able to pan out,'' Steinbach said. ''I knew right away Joe is going to pan out for the next 10 or 12 years and be one of those long-term great left tackles.''

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Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns

Our left side of the line is only gonna get better, they still have 6+ years to play together......Hank is saying alot of good things about them, but lets not forget how much hank has ment to our sucess also, he's stablized a postion that was in shambles last season, Hank can be discribed as the glue that holds this line together, tucker & shaffer on the right side havent been a sore spot either, these guys are the reason were winning, and deserve every honor that comes thier way..Also you can tell these guys are a unit...Hank is directing all honor thier way, not his way..to me that artical speaks volumes about the type of player & person Hank is, he's here to win games & be the anchor of a kick butt O-line..it all starts in the center....and I wouldnt want any other center anchoring our line than Hank.

My old offensive linemen coach use to tell us a good line goes unoticed..Well a good line does go unoticed.....unless you play in Cleveland.....we've had some great Rb's in our days, no doubt....but when these RB talk about thier accomplishments one of the first things they always talk about is the O-linemen that blocked for them, ....it all starts upfront..nad we fans appriciate the effort...

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''I knew right away Joe is going to pan out for the next 10 or 12 years and be one of those long-term great left tackles.''

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Music to my ears!! Now if we can Bentley back at 90%, we move him to RG next year and put Tuck on the bench for depth. Can you imagine. 2 potential Pro Bowlers and a proven Pro Bowler all on the O-line.

Man we have come so far from the Botch Davis days!

http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/article.php?id=8002
Steinbach, Thomas a formidable pair
Jeff Walcoff, Staff Writer
12.20.2007
A year ago neither was a member of the Cleveland Browns.

Eric Steinbach played for the Cincinnati Bengals, while Joe Thomas was still in college, wrapping up his senior season with the Wisconsin Badgers.

Now, they're playing next to each other in Orange and Brown and have quickly formed one of the most formidable left sides of any offensive line in the NFL.

With Steinbach at left guard and Thomas at left tackle, the Browns have experienced a resurgence on offense this season -- and it has all started up front.

The Browns have allowed only 11 sacks in 13 games since the season opener against Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, Jamal Lewis has become only the second Browns running back since 1985 to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.

The offense as a whole ranks fifth in the NFL in points scored (368) and 10th in yards per game (348.8).

Plenty of the credit undoubtedly goes to Steinbach and Thomas, each of whom was named a first alternate to the Pro Bowl Tuesday.

Steinbach came to the Browns in March as the team's marquee free agent signing of the 2007 offseason.

At 6-feet-6 and 295 pounds, he's smaller than a lot of NFL guards (at least in terms of weight) and uses his athleticism and slender build to handle his opponents.

"Steinbach is a lighter offensive lineman who is able to pull and run and get up to his backers quicker than most of those 350-pound guards," Lewis said. "He's a great player, physical, and plays much larger than what he is."

Steinbach has been a Pro Bowl alternate before. He's also a five-year NFL veteran.

For that reason, it's perhaps more impressive that Thomas was named a first alternate. It's not often rookies get that much attention in terms of the Pro Bowl.

But his teammates aren't surprised. They saw something from the very beginning that told them the 2007 No. 3 overall pick was a potential elite player.

"When they first drafted him and I saw his highlights and how his balance was and how he used his hands," Lewis said." It was evident he was a guy who could come in and play right away."

Steinbach added, "You see some college guys having great careers who then come into the NFL and don't pan out. Well I knew right away Joe was going to be a guy who is going to pan out for the next 10 or 12 years and be one of those long-term great left tackles."

That remains to be seen, but the evidence so far is encouraging. Thomas hasn't slipped up for any extended period of time this season despite playing against high-quality pass rushers like the Texans' Mario Williams and Pittsburgh's James Harrison, who was just voted to his first Pro Bowl.

"Joe has answered every challenge every week," Steinbach said.

The tackle's relentless work ethic doesn't hurt him.

"Joe is special," center Hank Fraley said. "He's one of those guys who is always getting better. He's always improving something and trying to become great at it. "

Lewis called him another Jonathan Ogden.

Ogden, just named to his 11th Pro Bowl, is a likely future Hall of Fame left tackle that was a teammate of Lewis' in Baltimore for seven seasons.

At the root of it all, however, is a simple man with little visible ego considering his draft status and the year he has had as a rookie.

"I remember when he came in the first day I didn't know who was who," Steinbach said. "There was another lineman that I kind of looked the same and you couldn't tell because of his demeanor. He didn't walk in and act like he was the third pick. He's a humble, blue-collar guy."

Combined, Steinbach and Thomas have created a true force on the left side of the offensive line as good as any tandem in the league. And with their recent selection as Pro Bowl alternates, it's clear credit is swiftly coming their way.

Best of all for the Browns, it doesn't appear as if either is headed anywhere. Thomas was signed to a six-year deal in July, while Steinbach's contract in March went for seven years.

By then, there's a good chance they'll go from Pro Bowl alternatives to full blown selections.

"Those guys are a great duo on the left side," Lewis said.

Many on this board knew the "biggest problem" with our O.

It wasn't at QB. It wasn't at RB. It wasn't at TE or WR. It was the OL.

Now that it is addressed, far too many are giving far too much credit elsewhere. Our QB isn't "great". Our RB isn't "great". But the OL is giving the QB time. It's giving the RB holes to run through.

The bulk of our offensive success this year IS the OL! Of course I'm sure there's still a few who understand that..........

I can still remember the Panini's in Canton erupting the day of the draft when Joe Thomas' name was announced. All I could do was yell "Yes" and do that little arm pump thing that Kirk Gibson did when he hit the WS home run off of Eckersley. That's a day I'll ALWAYS remember...a day when the Cleveland Browns would begin their turnaround.

Well-put Pit

i've always said, Draft us a O-line or D-line player in the first or second round every year and we will be fine,


If my big guys up front can block your big guys up front, My undrafted RB will gain atleast 3-4 yards a carry you do the math, Your guys cant tackle my guy no matter who they are if there on thier back,

and if your guys cant block my guys on Def. I dont care how much you pay your RB he's gonna get tackled.

It all starts up front

To me Amigo's Pit & Clay , not just yes , but hell yes ! .. Going back to the old board I have preached the way to build a team is from the inside out up front on both sides of the ball .. Thats how you make the Play offs year in and year out ..

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I can still remember the Panini's in Canton erupting the day of the draft when Joe Thomas' name was announced. All I could do was yell "Yes" and do that little arm pump thing that Kirk Gibson did when he hit the WS home run off of Eckersley. That's a day I'll ALWAYS remember...a day when the Cleveland Browns would begin their turnaround.

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LOL.....I was standing in my living room....Screaming Thomas, Thomas, Thomas...and when they said Thomas I ran out the front door yelling yes, yes, yes, neighbors looked at be strange when I yelled we drafted Thomas. and continued running down the ally....LOL

I was half awake at 6:30am? but had prepared the day before by buying a little champagne to have a mimosa if Thomas was the pick. I was terrified that Thomas would go to Detroit but thought....if anyone can screw that pick up it's Matt Millen!

The rest was history....I jumped all over my couch like a spider monkey...YES YES YES .... then toasted to Phil Savage for selecting the greatest Brown since Clay Matthews.

Thanks again Phil!

Glad to see you're still kickin'.

It's nice to see the OL getting some props. They are the biggest reason for the team's improvement this year. Anderson has helped a lot. Lewis has been a big upgrade. Edwards not dividing the locker room has been huge. But, the biggest single difference is the offensive line and particularly Joe Thomas.

I like Joe's attitude. He doesn't like attention, but he has the inner desire to be the best. It's important to him. Not for the attention he will receive, but to satisfy his own personal hunger. That's very important and very rare.

I think you all know how badly I wanted Joe to be a Brown. He's everything I claimed he would be....and more. I knew he would be great, but I really didn't think he would do it so quickly. I thought he would struggle some this year.

The most important thing Joe does is that he opens up the offense. We no longer have to protect our LT. We have the ability to run more formations, more motion, slower developing plays, more creative running plays, etc. We can also put more men in the pass patterns. It's the kind of thing that isn't easily detectable by the fan's eyes, but it is huge in terms of its importance.

Steinbach is amazing me. I knew he was agile, smart, quick, and had good technique. But I was under the impression that he could get overpowered on occasion. Well, I really haven't seen anyone overpowering him. He plays w/such great technique and leverage that no one can get into him and push him around. I also think he is a very intelligent player and he is the perfect guy to line-up by young Joe Thomas.

Fraley is playing very well. He brings an attitude to the line and is a good leader. He could be a coach someday if his family chooses. He is better suited to the zone scheme and like Joe and Steiny.......is very good at the second level.

Tucker is actually playing better than McKinnie and that is saying something, because McKinnie was playing very well. Tuck is strong and plays w/an aggressive attitude. He's very good at RG and was the main guy opening holes for Lewis against Buffalo.

Shaffer is playing much better at RT this year than he did at LT last year. His skill set is better suited to face the stronger, slower LDEs as opposed to the quicker guys on the other side of the line. He also does better when he is covered by a TE. He needs some help, but he is playing WAY better than I thought he would.

It's really nice to see the OL getting some love and some recognition. I was hoping we would get two Pro Bowlers from this unit, but it didn't work out. I really think the OL was deserving of such an honor, but you typically have to pay some dues.

All I know is the OL is now a strength. I hope Phil keeps drafting offensive linemen. If you keep that unit strong, the offense will continue to thrive.

I agree that Tuck is an upgrade at the RG spot. The right side wasn't good early on at opening up holes for the running game, now they are much much better to be sure. The thing I noticed most though in the Bills game was Stieny pulling and leading the charge on the right side. Thought I would add that part Vers, I know you probaly know that, but for some folks they may have missed it..

Brown to the Bone

Yeah, that is a good point about Steiny's ability to pull. I always bring my binoculars to the game and primarily focus on the OL. It was kinda hard to use them last Sunday, but our line was pretty impressive once again. Tucker was knocking the snot out of the guy in front of him. He was really blowing him off the ball, especially in the second half.

I like how we have it set up. We have two physical players on the right side and three athletic guys to the left of them. And that is why many of our running plays still start by going right. We run behind the stronger guys and then make a cut-back where our more agile guys are blocking on the second level. It doesn't always work, but the theory is good and it will continue to improve as this line meshes more and more.

....How important is the offensive line?....

...One of my favorite sayings is, none of your skilled offensive players, QB, RB, TE and WR will reach their offensive potentials if a team does not have a quality offensive line to allow these players to perform.

If ever the above statement were proved to be true, the 2007 Browns are the proof. Would our 6th round QB be having a great year without the Oline doing the job of protecting him? Would the TEs and WRs be so successful this season if it were not for the Oline? Would Bray be All-Pro if Anderson did not have the time to pass the ball? Would Jamal Lewis have over a 1000 yds if not for the Oline blocking?

There is another group of Browns that need to get their just do and I admit, I was one of the doubters of this group when they were hired in Jan. and Feb.

For years I have prayed that the Browns would hired a OLine coach of "guru" caliber such as Alex Gibbs. I pointed out, correctly, that those of Gibbs caliber are worth their weight in gold due to the fact that they have the ability to take raw talent and coach them to be very successful. For years, Gibbs saved the Broncos a bunch of money and draft picks by taking late round talent and developing them thus allowing the Broncos to use high draft picks on other areas of need.

To my disappointment, when the Browns were reworking the offensive side of the ball after last season, they went out and hired 3 individuals offensive line coaches to handle the job of putting together what is IMO, the most important group of players on the offense if not on the entire team...the Oline.

The Browns hired Steve Marshall, Mike Sullivan and Frank Verducci to handle the task of coaching the offensive line and they have done a fine job of it.

Who would have thought you could take the line coach of the Houston Texans, Steve Marshall, who was the primary OLine coach in 2006 of the Texans line that gave up 43 sacks and was an assistant Oline coach of the Texans line that gave up a league leading 68 sacks in 2005....

...add as an assistant, Mike Sullivan, Eastern Michigan's Oline coach for 2005-2006. Sullivan was also an assistant coach on the Browns staff from 2001-2004 after serving 1 year as a University of Miami grad assistant in 2000.

...and add as an assistant, Frank Verducci, who has the most experience of the 3 OLine coaches. Frank was the Oline coach for the Bills, Cowboys and a TE's coach for the Bengals before coming to the Browns. Frank was also the Oline coach at Iowa from 89-98 before coming to the pro level.

Steve Marshall, Mike Sullivan and Frank Verducci have worked well with Chud, teaching his new playbook to our offensive linemen.

My Browns visor is off to the Offensive Line Coaching staff...job well done, men....WOOF....mac

Welcome back Vers!! Good to see you posting again!

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but yes....a 3rd rounder every year or so with a higher selection every 2-3 years would keep us in good shape....teams like Pittsburgh and KC have done this for years, and they always seem to be able to get some things done on offense,.

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When the Steelers went to the Super Bowl, 3 of their OL were first round picks. (Simmons, Faneca and Hartings.) LT Marvel Smith was taken early in Round #2.

While it is true that they draft OL across the board each and every year, their starters for the most part are earlier picks.....

Indeed....like i said.....higher every 2-3 years wouldn't hurt anything.


But in the end, it doesn't really matter where they as selected as long as they get it done.

Now that the line is good, we don't have to count on that 5th round flyer to step in and play well.

And along those lines....roughly 20% of our 1st round picks have been on O-linemen since our return.

I don't think that is low or high....probably about right.....the problem IMO is the lack of 2nd and 3rd round players. Seems like if it wasn't a 1st rounder, it was a 6th rounder, and that is really where I am coming from...we have to keep that unit stocked with some players who realistically give us a chance rather than hope a guy like brad bedell is going to blossom into a good player.

Keep a nice infusion of 1st day picks in there so you have some talent you can work with.....doesn't have to be every year......but it can't be every 5 either.

Savage is a BPA guy......but one area I think he undervalues is Oline...especially those second tier guys.....you know....2nd rounders/3rd rounders.

Thomas was a easy pick....it is going to be interesting to see if we start bringing in a few more players over the next 1-3 years who fall in that second tier....guys who can become solid pro players....seems like we go top shelf or bottom shelf.

There is a middle.

A lot of us knew what a good line would do..we just never had anyone build it properly till now...and it shows...

Man is it good not to talking and wondering when we'd get some linemen..well we got'em...
Steiny...Thomas...Fraley..Tucker at RG..Shaffer at RT...