Browns' Joe Thomas: Deflategate A 'Witch Hunt'; Tom Brady Not A Cheater

Count Joe Thomas among Tom Brady’s supporters.

In an interview with ESPN, the Cleveland Browns’ Pro Bowl left tackle called NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s continuous displays of power “ridiculous witch hunts” and ripped Goodell’s defamation of the New England Patriots quarterback.

“I would equate what (Brady) did to driving 66 (mph) in a 65 speed zone — and getting the death penalty,” Thomas said.

Thomas added that he thinks the Deflategate saga is stupid to begin with considering the league allows quarterbacks to doctor footballs extensively before games.

“If you want (quarterbacks) to play with a brand new football that comes out of the box, then make that the rule,” he said. “If you’re going to allow them to break it in because you want more passing yards, then let them do whatever they want.

“Who cares if they throw a football that has no air pressure? What does it matter? Why don’t we let the quarterbacks do whatever they want to the football? I don’t understand why there’s any rules.

“We know (quarterbacks) already doctor (footballs) 99 percent, why do we care about the 1 percent in the air pressure? Why does that matter? Nobody’s even explained why that even matters.”

In summation, Brady is not a cheater in Thomas’ eyes.

“I think he’s trying to do everything he can to gain a competitive advantage to help him do his job better, which is to throw the football,” Thomas said. “Why should we be punishing a guy that wants to do his job better?”

He also further bashed Goodell, saying the NFL Players Association giving him the power he has was “probably an oversight” but that no one expected him to “act so unreasonably.”

You can say that again, Joe.