Earl Thomas - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Rumors: DGB, E. Thomas, H. Smith

June 4th, 2017 at 10:27am CST by Rory Parks

Dorial Green-Beckham, whom the Eagles acquired in a mid-August trade last year, believes Philadelphia has not seen him at his best. After all, he had to learn a new offense on the fly after the trade, and then he had to adjust to a new starting quarterback a few weeks later. But as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes, DGB has an uphill battle just to make the team, let alone make a major impact. The Eagles signed Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith in free agency, they spent mid-round draft choices on Mack Hollins and Shelton Gibson, and Jordan Matthews looks to remain with the club after being the subject of offseason trade rumors. All five of those players are roster locks, which means that Green-Beckham will battle former first-round selection Nelson Agholor — whom the Eagles have more of a commitment to from a salary and draft standpoint — for the final wide receiver spot. So, barring injury or a transcendent training camp, DGB’s days in Philadelphia could be numbered.

Now for more from the NFC:

Steve Wyche of NFL.com reports that Seahawks safety Earl Thomas is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a broken left left leg, and head coach Pete Carroll has no doubts that Thomas will be at full speed in training camp. WR Tyler Lockett, who is also recovering from a broken leg, is not as far along as Thomas, but Carroll indicated that Locket is still “on schedule.”
The Giants signed D.J. Fluker this offseason to help bolster an offensive line that was a major weakness last season. Fluker, whom the Chargers drafted as a tackle, shifted inside to guard over the past couple of seasons, but it was expected that he could at least compete for the Giants’ right tackle job this summer. But the Associated Press reports that Bobby Hart has manned right tackle during OTAs, which has relegated Fluker to John Jerry‘s backup at right guard.
The Lions recently signed former division-rival Matt Asiata to complement their running back corps, but barring an injury, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press does not see Asiata making the team. Birkett expects Ameer Abdullah, Theo Riddick, Zach Zenner and Dwayne Washington to be the Lions’ running backs, in that order, and he does not believe there is room for a fifth RB, even without a fullback.
Vikings star safety Harrison Smith says his ankle is fully healed and is now a non-issue, per the Associated Press.
Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune reports that Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer is expected to return to Minnesota today, to visit his eye doctors tomorrow, and if all goes well, he will be coaching OTAs on Tuesday (Twitter links).

West Rumors: Broncos, Seahawks, Raiders

May 31st, 2017 at 9:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although Broncos linebacker Shaquil Barrett won’t require surgery for his ailing hip, he’s still expected to miss a good deal of time leading up to the 2017 campaign, and could potentially be sidelined for the beginning of the regular season, according to Mike Klis of 9News. Additionally, because Barrett injured his hip doing a plyometric exercise outside the Broncos’ purview, Denver could choose to place the 24-year-old edge rusher on the non-football injury list. If the Broncos opt for that course of action, they would have the right to rescind a portion of Barrett’s $615K base salary, per Klis. A former undrafted free agent with two accrued seasons under his belt, Barrett is scheduled to become a restricted free agent in 2018.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two West divisions:

Earl Thomas was taking “nearly every rep” during Seahawks practice sessions today, an excellent sign as the veteran safety recovers from a broken leg, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The news surrounding Thomas and his rehabilitation has been nearly all positive since his December injury, as Seattle head coach Pete Carroll said Thomas was “way ahead of schedule” in March before indicating earlier this month that Thomas will be ready for the 2017 season opener. Seattle has added reinforcements in the defensive backfield this offseason, so the club should be well-prepared if Thomas is forced to miss any time. In addition to making a value signing in Bradley McDougald, the Seahawks used a third-round pick to draft Michigan safety Delano Hill.
Now that a new regime is running the 49ers, players signed or drafted by the previous decision-making group aren’t assured of playing time or roster spots, as Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee details. Tight end Vance McDonald and linebacker NaVorro Bowman, notably, have been mentioned in trade rumors, and Bowman is now expected to be forced to compete for snaps with Reuben Foster and Malcolm Smith. Fellow linebacker Ray-Ray Armstong, signed to an extension last year, could fall from a potential starting gig to a third-string role, per Barrows, while 2016 first-round pick Joshua Garnett isn’t a lock to be a starter, either.
Derek Carr has already indicated he won’t discuss an extension once the regular season begins, but Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk opines that the Raiders quarterback may not want to negotiate a new deal until the campaign concludes. At that point, Carr would be able to exert enormous leverage over Oakland, as the club would be forced to deploy the exclusive franchise tag to ward off potential suitors. Thanks to the extraordinary value of the quarterback franchise tag, Carr could demand north of $90MM in three-year cash flow, and could also extract concessions such as having his future salaries tied to a percentage of the salary cap, per Florio.

Earl Thomas On Track For Season Opener

May 4th, 2017 at 8:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Seahawks expect safety Earl Thomas to be available for the start of the 2017 campaign, head coach Pete Carroll told reporters, including Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link).

Thomas, of course, hinted at retirement after breaking his leg in December, but ultimately indicated he’d be back for the 2017 season. The news that Thomas is on track to return for the season opener doesn’t come as a significant surprise, as Carroll said in March that Thomas was “way ahead of schedule” in his recovery. When healthy, Thomas is considered the best deep safety in the NFL, so his absence — for any length of time — would represent a massive blow to a stingy Seattle defense. Signed through 2018, Thomas is set to have cap charges of $10.4MM in each of the next two seasons.

Thomas’ secondary mate Kam Chancellor, meanwhile, is still working his way back from multiple ankle surgeries and isn’t yet at full speed, tweets Condotta. Chancellor, like Thomas, is an excellent player when healthy, but injury concerns have sidelined him in recent years. He’s missed 11 total games over the past three seasons, although those absences were caused by injuries to his hip, groin, and tailbone (not ankle). Recently, Carroll admitted the Seahawks would like to work out a new deal with Chancellor, who’s entering a contract season.

Seattle has added reinforcements in the defensive backfield this offseason, so the club should be well-prepared if Thomas and/or Chancellor are forced to miss any time. In addition to making a value signing in Bradley McDougald, the Seahawks used a third-round pick to draft Michigan safety Delano Hill.

Bradley McDougald To Visit Seahawks

March 14th, 2017 at 7:28pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent safety Bradley McDougald will take a meeting with the Seahawks later this week, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.

Seattle, clearly, boasts perhaps the league’s best safety tandem when all parties are healthy, as Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor are among the NFL’s top players at their respective positions. Thomas, though, is coming off a broken leg, so McDougald would provide the Seahawks with insurance as Thomas continues his rehab. But as Pete Carroll said on KJR earlier today (Twitter link), Thomas is “way ahead of schedule” in his recovery, so signs are pointing up as Thomas prepares for the 2017 campaign.

McDougald, 25, ranked as PFR’s No. 10 safety heading into free agency after spending four seasons with the Buccaneers. He’s started 31 games during that span while managing four interceptions and 14 passes defensed. McDougald, who graded as Pro Football Focus‘ No. 42 safety, seems unlikely to re-sign with the Buccaneers after Tampa signed fellow defensive back J.J. Wilcox to a two-year pact.

Seahawks’ Earl Thomas To Return In 2017

December 24th, 2016 at 10:05pm CST by Zachary Links

When Earl Thomas suffered a season-ending broken tibia, he hinted on Twitter that he could retire before the start of next season. On Saturday night, the Seahawks safety put all speculation to rest.

“I’ll def be back next year..,” Thomas tweeted (sic).

Thomas, 27, rates as Pro Football Focus’ No. 15 safety this season and he has been one of the league’s best defenders for the last seven years. His injury was a major blow for Seattle this year and fans were surprised to hear that he might walk away from the game in the midst of his prime. Apparently, Thomas was just speaking out of frustration in the wake of the injury.

Signed for another two years, Thomas is set to carry cap charges of $10.4MM in 2017 and 2018. Thomas will be back with the Legion of Boom next season as one of the top five highest-paid safeties in the league.

Earl Thomas Still Considering Retirement

December 20th, 2016 at 8:20pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After suffering a broken bone that ended his season earlier this month, Seahawks safety Earl Thomas tweeted out a message that indicated retirement had crossed his mind following the injury. While some observers believed that Thomas was simply caught up in the emotion of the moment, Thomas told The Rich Eisen Show today that he still hasn’t decided whether he’ll return to Seattle in 2017.

“Yeah, I’m kind of enjoying just waking up in the morning without the pressure,” Thomas said (link via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk). “Peace is starting to return to me, bro, and I think that’s my ultimate goal in life. I just want to have peace. But I can say when I went back to the [Seahawks practice facility] the other day, my competitive juices came right back. I don’t know, man. I’m kind of caught in between right now. … I’m never going to step on a football field half-heartedly. … But if I have any doubts, I don’t want to play the game.”

A Thomas retirement would be a massive blow to the Seahawks’ defense, as the 27-year-old is generally considered the best safety in the NFL. It’s difficult to gauge the level of Thomas’ interest in retirement given that he suffered a serious injury just weeks ago, and as such, it’s perhaps too early to consider the Seattle defense without Thomas’ presence. But if Thomas does hang up his cleats, the Seahawks would have to scramble — possibly either through free agency or by using draft picks — to replace their defensive center fielder. Indeed, as Alper astutely notes in the linked piece, Seattle’s front office surely wants to learn of Thomas’ plans before the new league year begins next spring.

Signed through the 2018 campaign, Thomas is set to have cap charges of $10.4MM in each of the next two seasons.

Seahawks Sign Jeron Johnson

December 6th, 2016 at 5:29pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Seahawks have officially placed safety Earl Thomas on injured reserve, and filled his roster spot by signing fellow safety Jeron Johnson, the club announced today. Seattle also confirmed the previously-reported signing of fullback Marcel Reece, and announced that it has waived running back George Farmer to create a roster spot.

Johnson, 28, is a familiar face in Seattle, as he spent the 2011-14 campaigns serving as a reserve defensive back and a special-teamer for the Seahawks. He signed with the Redskins last year with the hope of getting more playing time, but was ultimately released just one season into a two-year deal. After briefly hooking on with the Chiefs in August, Johnson was cut and had been roaming the workout circuit, meeting with the Giants, Ravens, and Bills.

Steven Terrell figures to take most of Thomas’ vacated snaps at free safety, meaning Johnson is likely to return to his special teams role for the Hawks. Johnson wasn’t the only safety Seattle worked out today, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link) that the Seahawks also took a look at veterans Duke Williams and Rahim Moore.

NFC West Notes: Seahawks, Rams, Cardinals

December 5th, 2016 at 8:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After suffering a leg injury last night which will sideline him for the remainder of the season, Seahawks safety Earl Thomas tweeted that retirement had crossed his mind, and as he tells Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter links), he’s still considering his options. “I’m taking it one day at a time,” said Thomas. “I still feel the same way I felt last night. You have to remember my team is still fighting I don’t want to become a distraction.” One positive is that Thomas won’t require surgery, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), which should ease his recovery and rehab process.

Here’s more from the NFC West:

The Rams recently announced an extension for head coach Jeff Fisher, but that doesn’t mean the club won’t part ways with Fisher after the current season, per Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com. The new deal, which was reportedly agreed to over the summer, only runs through 2017 before containing an option for 2018. As such, Los Angeles wouldn’t be on the hook for much money if it chose to fire Fisher after this year. In fact, the extension is viewed as more of a “token of appreciation” from owner Stan Kroenke to Fisher rather than a sign that Fisher will be around for the long haul, writes Gonzalez.
Cardinals general manager Steve Keim told reporters that he was not pleased with punter Drew Butler‘s play on Sunday against Washington, tweets Darren Urban of AZCentral.com. Butler re-signed with Arizona late last month after previously having agreed to an injury settlement. Cards head coach Bruce Arians confirmed that the club will work out an unidentified punter on Tuesday, per Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910 (Twitter link).
Although a weekend report indicated that “confidants” believe Arians could consider retiring from the Cardinals after the 2016 campaign, Arians himself told reporters that the news was false, according to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (Twitter links). “First of all, I don’t have that many friends,” said Arians, before adding that he’s “damn sure” he’ll be coaching in 2017.

Seahawks’ Earl Thomas Done For Season

December 5th, 2016 at 5:15pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Speaking to reporters today, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll confirmed that safety Earl Thomas suffered a broken tibia in last night’s game against the Panthers and will miss the rest of the season, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Thomas will not be able to return even if Seattle makes a deep postseason run.

The end result is not unexpected, especially after Thomas had to be helped off the field last night and then tweeted a cryptic message that even hinted at retirement. Without Thomas — who is arguably the most important player on the Seahawks’ defense — Seattle will be forced to adjust its scheme down the stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs, as the club’s backups, including Steven Terrell – who will likely step in for Thomas – will be hard-pressed to replicate the perennial All-Pro’s production.

Thomas, 27, rates as Pro Football Focus’ No. 11 back-line defender this season, but he’s been one of this decade’s best defenders. Seattle’s consistently churned out ancillary secondary pieces — like Byron Maxwell, Brandon Browner, or Jeremy Lane — but don’t have much experience using backup safeties.

Signed through the 2018 campaign, Thomas is set to have cap charges of $10.4MM in each of the next two seasons.

Earl Thomas Breaks Bone In Leg

December 4th, 2016 at 9:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the cornerstones of the best era in Seahawks history, Earl Thomas might miss the franchise’s latest run at a Super Bowl.

The veteran safety suffered a broken bone in his leg during the first half Sunday night and is out indefinitely, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports.

“This game has been so good to me no regrets.. A lot is running through my mind including retirement thanks for all the prayers,” the seventh-year defender tweeted from the locker room.

It’s a lower leg fracture, the team announced. Pete Carroll told NBC’s Michele Tafoya Thomas sustained a cracked tibia. Both categorizations put the rest of his season in serious jeopardy. Thomas had gone six full seasons without missing a game; his first absence as an NFLer came last weekend against the Bucs with a hamstring injury.

Thomas and Kam Chancellor collided on a play that nearly featured an acrobatic Thomas interception of Cam Newton. Instead, it changes Seattle’s defense.

Arguably the centerpiece of a Seahawks defense that’s been one of this century’s best units during its run over the past several seasons, Thomas is a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro. He signed a four-year, $40MM extension with the Seahawks in the 2014 offseason and is under contract through 2018.

It’s difficult to project the Seahawks’ defense without Thomas since he’s been a constant since it became a force several years ago. The trio of Thomas, Richard Sherman and Chancellor which has remained intact throughout this ascent has not missed many games. Of the trio, Chancellor’s been the only one with injury issues, missing eight games due to injury over the past two years. Up until tonight, none had experienced a serious malady as an NFL player.

The 27-year-old free safety rates as Pro Football Focus’ No. 11 back-line defender this season, but he’s been one of this decade’s best defenders. Seattle’s consistently churned out ancillary secondary pieces — like Byron Maxwell, Brandon Browner, or Jeremy Lane — but don’t have much experience using backup safeties. Former Chiefs backup Kelcie McCray and ex-Texan Steven Terrell are the Hawks’ primary understudies behind Thomas.