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Be The GM: Thomas Vs. Polamalu

Authored by Andrew Perna - 25th August, 2009 - 10:23 am

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Believe it or not, the first round of our 'Be The GM' contest will conclude on Thursday, when Maurice Jones-Drew battles Chris Johnson for the right to be known as the best running back in the AFC South.

We'll close up the AFC North today with Browns tackle Joe Thomas taking on Steelers safety Troy Polamalu.

Polamalu has the higher profile, but Thomas is an anchor on the offensive line.

Why Thomas Is A Franchise Player

Thomas is a great run blocker, but does sometimes get outclassed by stronger, faster pass rushers. Like a majority of Cleveland's players, he wasn't able to follow up a strong 2007 season last year as the team stumbled to a 4-12 finish.

Still, Thomas was a Rookie of the Year candidate in 2007 and has played in all 32 of his eligible games. He's already a two-time Pro Bowler; a pretty good start to your NFL career.

The Browns had a horrible offense in 2008, which had more do to with their struggles at quarterback and the drops of Braylon Edwards than the play of Thomas.

Why Polamalu Is A Franchise Player

He was first a novelty because of his long hair and hard hits, but is now one of the league's most consistent playmakers. He grabbed seven interceptions in 2008, and has tallied seven sacks, seven forced fumbles and 17 picks in his six-year NFL career (doesn't it seem longer?).

Polamalu makes plays all over the field, and is exceptional in both run and pass coverage. His numbers prove his ability to cause turnovers in a variety of ways. If you don't think the safety is important to the Steelers, you're horribly wrong. They were 3-2 without him in 2007, when they went 11-5 overall.

He has made five-straight Pro Bowls, is a two-time First Team All-Pro selection and, obviously, has a pair of Super Bowl rings on his million-dollar fingers.

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Andrew Perna is Deputy Editor of RealGM.com and co-host of RealGM's Radio Show. Please feel free to contact him with comments or questions via e-mail: Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com

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