Throughout all the turmoil and change the Cleveland Browns have endured for the last 11 years, one constant has remained: Joe Thomas serving as the face of the franchise.
That changed on Wednesday, however, when the 10-time Pro Bowl announced his retirement from football.
As a result, for the first time since 2006, the Browns will enter a season without Thomas as one of the pillars of their franchise in 2018.
Who could it be that emerges as the new face of Cleveland football in the post-Thomas era? Let's take a look:
Myles Garrett
The man who used to go one-on-one against Thomas in practice is also the front-runner to replace him as the face of the Browns franchise. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, Myles Garrett showed flashes in his rookie season of being a player capable of making multiple Pro Bowl appearances in a Hall of Fame-caliber career -- just as Thomas did.
Despite being limited due to an ankle injury that cost him the first four games of the season, the Texas A&M product tallied 31 tackles, 7.0 sacks, 1 pass defended, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. With a full, healthy, season, it isn't hard to imagine the 6-foot-4, 272-pound Garrett reaching his potential as early as this coming season.
And if he does that, the Browns may have just filled the sizable void that Thomas left behind.
2018 No. 1 overall pick
The future face of the Cleveland Browns might not even have a name yet.
Will it be Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Josh Allen or Baker Mayfield that the Browns select with their upcoming No. 1 overall pick? We'll find out on April 26.
But should the Browns select a quarterback with the upcoming NFL Draft's top pick -- as they are expected to do -- they'll undoubtedly do so in hopes of that player one day winding up the face of their franchise -- and hopefully sooner rather than later.
Tyrod Taylor
Or perhaps the quarterback of the Browns' future is already on their roster.
A three-year starter who helped lead the Buffalo Bills to their first playoff appearance since 1999, Tyrod Taylor arrives in Cleveland as the Browns' most-qualified quarterback since the team's return to the league two decades ago.
Yet despite his impressive resume, Taylor has just one year remaining on his contract, leading many to believe he's merely a "bridge quarterback" for the Browns, who is doubling as a placeholder for the rookie signal-caller they'll inevitably wind up selecting next month.
Taylor, however, has a different idea of what it would mean for him to be a "bridge quarterback" in Cleveland.
"As far as a bridge, hopefully, I am helping bridge this team to a Super Bowl," Taylor said at his introductory press conference on Thursday. "That is the plan.”
Should that plan somehow come to fruition, the Browns would have no choice but to accept Taylor as their long-term face of their franchise.
Josh Gordon
Is the Browns' most talented player ready to become the face of their franchise?
For Josh Gordon, who has missed the better part of the past four seasons due to suspension, that may seem like a lofty task. Due in large part to his battle with substance abuse, the 2013 All-Pro hasn't played in all 16 games for the Browns since his rookie season in 2012.
Last season, Gordon made his return to Cleveland after having not appeared in a regular season game since 2014. In 5 games, the Baylor product tallied 18 receptions for 335 yards and a touchdown.
Even though he insists he's now committed to sobriety, putting Gordon at the forefront of the franchise might not be best for either the Browns or the talented wide receiver.
On the other hand, his talent is so immense that both the team and player may not have any other choice.
