BEREA, Ohio _ Left tackle Joe Thomas hopes coach Hue Jackson was right when he emphatically stated Monday the Browns are not going to trade the nine-time Pro Bowl selection.
"It feels good to be loved. I'm hoping that they stick to their word on that," Thomas said Wednesday as the Browns (0-7) prepared to host the New York Jets (2-5) on Sunday. "Obviously, I really want to be here. It's important for me to be part of the turnaround."
Thomas has been the subject of trade rumors many times before. Last year, the previous regime nearly shipped him to the Denver Broncos but stopped short of finalizing a deal.
On Sunday, ProFootballTalk.com's Mike Florio reported on NBC's Football Night in America the Browns are seeking a second-round draft pick in exchange for Thomas and listed the New York Giants, Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots as potential trade partners.
The next day, Jackson said, "We are not going to trade Joe Thomas. Joe Thomas has a lot to do with what we're trying to accomplish here in our future."
Thomas knows nothing is guaranteed in the NFL, though. Nobody in the organization has pulled him aside and assured him he won't be dealt.
"There's no surprises in the NFL," he said. "So you always have to be ready and be able to roll with any punches that you're given, but I wouldn't expect to be traded obviously.
"But it wouldn't be the most shocking thing in the world because that's the way the NFL goes. We're commodities in this business, and we get traded just like stocks and bonds. So it's just part of what you have to accept when you become an NFL player."
Thomas insisted he won't be stressed out leading up to the trade deadline at 4 p.m. Nov. 1.
"My years in the NFL has taught me to control the things that you can control and don't stress about something that's out of your control because it'll make you crazy," Thomas said.
The Browns have gone 47-104 with no playoff appearances and just one winning season since they drafted Thomas third overall in 2007.
So why the heck would he want to stay?
"When I first got here, my goal and my mission is kind of always to make the playoffs and to help be part of turning the Browns into a consistent winner and kind of turning the franchise's fortunes around," Thomas said. "We haven't done that yet, so to me, that means that my mission is not yet complete here."
Thomas, 31, attended the Indians' 6-0 win over the Chicago Cubs in Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday night at Progressive Field.
"It was an electric atmosphere for sure," he said. "The fans were pretty juiced up. It was awesome, and it kind of brings me hope when we turn this thing around here, it's going to be on an even bigger level."
But there's a chance the Browns won't be good for several years, and Thomas can't play forever.
He's seen former teammates leave Cleveland and win a Super Bowl. Doesn't he want that?
"I do," Thomas replied, "and I want to have it in Cleveland."
Simply put, Thomas and his wife, Annie, are entrenched in the community.
"We feel like we're Clevelanders," Thomas said. "We've spent the majority of our adult life here. ... We've got some pretty deep roots here, and there's no reason to want to leave."
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