Joe Thomas: “I am interested” in joining Browns radio team

The Cleveland Browns find themselves in need of a second voice in the radio booth after Doug Dieken hung up his microphone following a 36-year run as color commentator on game days.

Several replacements have been tossed around, including former players Tim Couch and John Greco, along with the usual group of local “personalities” who currently clutter Cleveland’s airwaves.

But one name stands out more than others in Joe Thomas, who played left tackle for the Browns from 2007 to 2017 and will soon likely be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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On Thursday, Thomas was asked about the possibility of moving into the radio booth during an appearance on ESPN Cleveland’s The Really Big Show and said that while there have been “conversations” about taking on a role with the radio broadcasts, nothing has been set in motion just yet.

Still, Thomas said that if the Browns call he would pick up the phone (quotes via The Beacon Journal):

“I am interested. Who wouldn’t be interested? I mean, if you’re a fan of the Browns like I am, a former player, I mean, that’s one of the most iconic and marquee positions within the NFL, and I feel the same way about it. You think about all the memories I had when I was a kid. It was, we would watch the game, we’d listen to the radio and all those big moments from when I was a kid and we were watching the Packers listening to Jim Irwin and Max McGee and the way that they called the game, those memories and those voices are ingrained in my brain forever. So to be potentially that person for Cleveland and the Browns fans would be amazingly special.

“It would be something that you’d have to make a decision about. There’s no doubt. In a vacuum, it’s a no-brainer. That is such a, first of all, a fun opportunity to be able to do the radio, be part of those games. As a person that’s not playing on the team anymore, that’s about as close as you could feel like you could be to the team. So from that standpoint, the fun would be 10 out of 10. You’d be breaking the fun meter every single weekend. The question is then how does that fit in with the rest of your life.”

While Thomas would be a popular choice, some obstacles would need to be addressed. For starters, he does not live in Cleveland so how much time he would need to be away from his family is a consideration. Thomas also currently does work for the NFL Network as an analyst and co-hosts The Thom and Hawk Football Show with former Cleveland teammate Andrew Hawkins.

Dieken was in the radio booth for so long it is hard to remember a time when he was playing for the Browns rather than working their games as a broadcaster. The Browns and their fans were fortunate to have someone in place for so long, and it would be nice to see them be able to find someone who can slide into Dieken’s seat for the long term.

Judging from his work with the NFL Network and his expressed in the job, Thomas seems like he could meet the criteria with no problem.