Chicago Bears: Cleveland Browns have at least one thing they don’t

It might be small, but the Cleveland Browns are better than the Chicago Bears in one area.

Recently, NFL Network released their list of the Top 100 players in the league. The first player on the list was, as expected, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. The usual names (Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Julio Jones, etc.) were all in the top 25, as was one member from the Cleveland Browns — Joe Thomas.

Thomas, No. 25 on the list, is the left tackle for the Browns. He is a 10-time Pro Bowler, a six-time All Pro, and is still considered one of the elite players in the league regardless of position. His ticket to Canton is already punched.

Notably missing on the top 100 list was any player from the Chicago Bears. The Bears have numerous players who could have cracked the list — Jordan Howard, Kyle Long, Akiem Hicks, etc. But not one player from the team was able to crack the list, but the Browns had one? The same franchise that went 1-15 in 2016 and haven’t made the playoffs in over a decade?

Now, just because one player from the Browns is on the list doesn’t mean the Bears are a worse team. For one, who exactly is making this list? Any list is subjective and cannot be taken as a sure thing. But for no Bears’ players to be on the list is in indictment to the level of talent on the team.

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The Browns have been the laughing stock of the league for years, and even after a strong draft in April, still are one of the worst teams in the league. They don’t have a long-term answer at quarterback, the rest of the roster is lackluster, and they seem to change coaches every other year. The “Dawg Pound” is more like a whimper, and the fans seemed to be more focused on the Cavaliers or Indians than they are in the Browns.

Joe Thomas is a really good player, and he could start for any of the 32 teams in the league. He deserves to be on the list (although probably not that high). But on a list of 100 players, shouldn’t the Bears have at least one? Jordan Howard made the Pro Bowl in 2016 and was second in the league in rushing (despite not starting until Week 4). He definitely should be on the list and save the Bears from some of the jokes that have come from all of this.

Again, this list is kind of silly and has absolutely zero impact on what will happen in 2017. The Browns won’t be better than the Bears this season because Thomas is on the list and no Bear is. But this list does say something about the level of talent on the Bears roster, and it has been a great joke for sports radio hosts to use.

Next: NFL 2017: Each team's biggest question before training camp

The Bears will have a better record than the Browns in 2017 because they have a better team. But in terms of this list, Cleveland can brag that they are better than the Bears in one way.