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While we are busy hunting for Cleveland Browns-related topics this offseason, one idea popped into my mind in light of the news that Tom Brady of the New England Patriots was trying to help lure Kevin Durant of the NBA to join the Boston Celtics.
Obviously, the Browns don’t have a superstar the magnitude of Brady. Heck, we’re lucky enough to have one superstar in this town, and he belongs to the Cleveland Cavaliers in LeBron James.
Let’s say that hypothetically, James wasn’t in Cleveland, and for some reason, the Cavaliers wanted to leverage a Browns superstar to help convince a free agent to join the city of Cleveland. Who would you pick?
The top candidates who jump out to me include Jim Brown, Bernie Kosar, Joe Thomas, and Joe Haden. As much as I love Kosar, unless you’re from here, you’re probably not going to get him or understand what he’s saying. Thomas is undoubtedly the most credible current player on the team and he’s a nice guy, but I’ve heard his “I like this new coach” speech about a million times now and can pretty much see right through it.
Brown would carry powerful words with him, but I feel he might come off as a little intimidating and out-dated. He’s a guy you respect, but not one who would convince you to join the city. My choice would be Haden. Although he’s struggled through a couple of injury-related seasons, he still has a reputation of being a top cornerback in the NFL and is embedded in the city’s culture. He was even part of the Cavaliers’ Championship parade for how much of a fan he was.