Browns' Haden and Thomas make top 25 of NFL's best players list
Browns cornerback Joe Haden and left tackle Joe Thomas have been voted as two of the best 25 players in the league by their peers.
Haden came in at 23rd while Thomas landed right at 25 in NFL Network's annual poll of players. Haden, who was named to his second straight Pro Bowl for the 2014 season, moved up 16 spots from last year, when he was 39th on the list. Thomas, who has made the Pro Bowl in all eight of his seasons, actually fell seven spots from last year's 18th spot. He was also named a first-team All-Pro for the fifth time this past season.
Perhaps even more impressive is that Thomas hasn't missed a snap in his eight-year career. Head coach Mike Pettine calls him 'the total package.'
"Sometimes you have superstar players that are at the top of their game and there’s a sense of entitlement or they don’t practice as hard. He’s the exact opposite of that," Pettine said via the team's official website.
Pettine also heaped praise on Haden as his No. 1 cornerback, but defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil summed it up more succinctly.
"I think he’s the best cornerback in football," O'Neil said.
h/t: Cleveland Browns
