Browns star tackle Joe Thomas said his decision on whether to keep playing or retire is ”right around the corner.”

During an onstage interview Tuesday night at an awards show in downtown Cleveland Authentic Tanner Lee Jersey , Thomas remained noncommittal when discussing his future – a decision that has kept the Browns in limbo. The 33-year-old and 10-time Pro Bowler has been mulling retirement since his 2017 season ended prematurely because of a torn left triceps.

”As far as a decision goes, we’re still kind of working through that process,” Thomas said while speaking to a crowd during the Cleveland Chapter of Positive Coaching Alliance’s inaugural Youth Sports Impact Awards Dinner. ”I’m keeping the Browns apprised of everything I’m doing and trying to make the best decision for myself and for the team, and when that decision comes, I’m not quite sure just yet, but I know hopefully it’ll be soon, right around the corner.”

Following the event, Thomas took photos with several groups of fans, but avoided media members waiting to speak with him.

Earlier, Thomas gave some mixed signals about his future.

He said his rehab, which could take as long as nine months, has gone well and that he mostly has full function in his arm.

Thomas has said several times that he planned to give the Browns a decision before the start of free agency, which began on Monday with the ”legal tampering” period and picks up steam when teams can begin signing players at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

New Browns general manager John Dorsey has been active in recent days overhauling the team’s roster. Dorsey reached agreement on four trades and he figures to be just as busy in free agency. The Browns were $113 million under the salary cap before their recent flurry of transactions.

Thomas, who has never played in the postseason and just endured an 0-16 season, is excited about Cleveland’s additions.

”I think the future is really bright Orlando Brown Jr. Jersey Ravens ,” Thomas said. ”Obviously, John Dorsey came here for a reason because there was a ton of cap space, a ton of money that you can spend under the salary cap on new players, and obviously the draft picks that we have are pretty impressive, really unprecedented to have the first, the fourth (overall selections) and a couple early picks in the second round. So although the talent hasn’t been there for the team the last few years, the cupboards are not bare because of what we have coming down the pike in the next few years.

”For me as a player and for you guys as fans, it’s a great time to be a Cleveland Brown.”

Out of respect, the Browns are giving Thomas all the time and space he needs to make his decision. But as they wait to hear from him, the club has been examining the free-agent market to potentially find his replacement.

The team reached agreement Tuesday with tackle Chris Hubbard on a five-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Hubbard will sign his deal Wednesday, when teams are permitted to finalize contracts.

Hubbard primarily plays right tackle, but he gives the Browns more options in case Thomas retires.

The Browns also are expected to pursue New England’s Nate Solder, who has spent the past seven years protecting Tom Brady’s blindside. It’s possible that if Thomas returned, Solder could switch to the right side for a season.

Only one of five players in history selected to the Pro Bowl in his first 10 seasons Ronnie Harrison Jersey Elite , Thomas had never missed a snap in his career before he got hurt while blocking on a running play against Tennessee on Oct. 22. The injury snapped his streak of 10,363 consecutive snaps, a remarkable run of durability.

Thomas is sent to earn a $3 million roster bonus on Sunday, which does give him some more time to make a decision. He’ll make an additional $10.3 million in salary next season.

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Still stung by the Blues missing the playoffs for the first time in six seasons, general manager Doug Armstrong capped a major roster overhaul on the first day of the NHL’s free-agency period by acquiring center Ryan O’Reilly in a multiplayer trade with the Buffalo Sabres.

Aside from landing a nine-year veteran in O’Reilly on Sunday, St. Louis committed $31 million in salary to sign forwards David Perron and center Tyler Bozak to multiyear contracts.

”Once you miss the playoffs, change has to happen,” Armstrong said. ”We’re a non-playoff team for the first time in a number of years and it doesn’t sit well with the St. Louis Blues organization, and certainly the fan base.”

Making drastic changes was also the theme in Buffalo, where general manager Jason Botterill continued shuffling the under-performing roster of a team that finished last in the standings for the third time in five years.

”We had to change the dynamic,” Botterill said. ”The bottom line was there’s a lot of great people in that locker room, but when you finish 31st, you have to look to make changes.”

The Sabres added experience to a young roster by acquiring veterans forwards Vladimir Sobotka and Patrik Berglund. They also acquired forward Tage Thompson, a 2016 first-round draft pick, who had three goals and six assists in 41 games as an NHL rookie this season last year. Buffalo rounded out its haul by adding a conditional first-round draft pick next year and a second-rounder in 2021.

The Blues also agreed to pay O’Reilly the $7.5 million contract bonus he was due by the end of the day. Botterill said the price for O’Reilly would have gone up once the Sabres were put in a position to pay the bonus.

Berglund Authentic Lukas Dostal Jersey , a former first-round draft pick, has 168 goals and 322 points in 694 games over a 10-year career in St. Louis. Sobotka is a defensive forward, who has 47 goals and 155 points in 463 career games over nine seasons.

The trade continues a busy stretch in Botterill’s rebuilding plans.

Aside from selecting 18-year-old Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin with the No. 1 pick in the draft last month, he also acquired play-making forward Conor Sheary in a trade with Pittsburgh last week. The Sabres addressed their goaltending needs by signing former Blues backup Carter Hutton to a three-year, $8.25 million deal Sunday.

Hutton will share the starting duties with Linus Ullmark, who is pegged to make the jump to Buffalo after three seasons in the minors.

O’Reilly was expendable because he was one of the few assets the Sabres could trade. And he also caused a stir during an end-of-season availability by suggesting there were times he had lost the passion for hockey and that a losing culture had crept into the locker room.

Armstrong is confident a change of scenery will help O’Reilly.

”I’ve certainly been guilty of saying things I was thinking and wishing I didn’t say them. He probably would add that to the list of things he wishes he could’ve kept internal,” said Armstrong, who is familiar with O’Reilly during the time they’ve spent together as part of Canada’s national team at international tournaments.

”He’s got great passion for the sport. He’s got great passion to compete and win,” he added. ”And hopefully, this gives him the boost that he feels is necessary that he can come in here. And quite honestly, we need that boost.”

O’Reilly completed his third season in Buffalo since being acquired in a trade with Colorado, after which the Sabres signed him to a seven-year, $52.5 million contract. He’s one of the league’s most dependable two-way forwards, and set the NHL record by winning 1,273 faceoffs last year.

Perron returns to St. Louis for the third time in his NHL career after signing for $16 million over four years. He spent last season in Las Vegas Hayden Hurst Ravens Jersey , where he set career highs with 50 assists and 66 points. Bozak, who signed a three-year, $15 million deal with St. Louis, spent his first nine seasons in Toronto, where he scored 136 goals and 365 points in 594 games.

”You bring in Ryan O’Reilly, and you bring in Perron and Bozak, experience players, I think it just makes you better,” Armstrong said.

Notes: Buffalo signed goalie Scott Wedgewood, who is expected to take over the starting duties in the minors. … Forward Scott Wilson returned to Buffalo by signing a two-year, $2.1 million contract. … The Sabres also signed defenseman Brandon Hickey to a two-year entry-level contract. Hickey completed his senior season at Boston University, and was acquired by Buffalo in trade with Arizona last month.

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