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Earl Thomas

Cowboys Will Make ‘Strong Push’ For Earl Thomas

March 10th, 2019 at 8:55pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We heard a couple of weeks ago that Earl Thomas could get priced out of the Cowboys’ range, even though there’s been a long-rumored connection between the two sides. But Dallas apparently hasn’t been scared off by Thomas’ asking price and will make a “strong push” for the safety when free agency opens, according to David Moore of The Dallas Morning News.

The latest word is that Thomas is seeking a deal that will pay him around $13MM annually. Thomas is from Texas and played his college ball for the Texas Longhorns, and it hasn’t been much of a secret that he’s interested in returning home. Thomas wants to become the highest paid safety in the game, and Moore writes that the Cowboys “regard Thomas as a special talent.” He also notes that they aren’t concerned about his age, Thomas will be 30 in May, and that they “will make a competitive offer” for his services.

We heard more confirmation earlier today that numerous teams will be interested in signing Thomas, so the Cowboys won’t have it easy. The 49ers are expected to be aggressive in pursuing the All-Pro as are the Chiefs, who attempted to trade for him last fall. Thomas has indicated he won’t be giving the Cowboys much of a hometown discount, but it sounds like they’re willing to match, or at least come close to, what other teams are offering.

Thomas played in just four games last season before a leg injury landed him on injured reserve, but he’ll be fully recovered by the time the 2019 season rolls around. The six-time Pro Bowler would be a massive addition to the Cowboys’ already promising defense.

Extra Points: Thomas, Rams, Collins

March 10th, 2019 at 8:23pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Rams’ decision to sign Eric Weddle last week could have a ripple effect on the rest of the league. The Rams had been interested in signing fellow safety Earl Thomas, but will no longer be pursuing him after signing Weddle, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Bob Condotta posted in a follow-up tweet that echoed what he had heard about Thomas and the Rams. Condotta also said the Cowboys, Chiefs, 49ers are “all thought now to be potential bidders for Thomas.” The 49ers have both been heavily linked to Thomas, and the Chiefs nearly traded for him last fall.

Elsewhere in the video Rapoport posted, he broke down the whole safety market. Unlike last year, where the safety market took very long to develop and seemingly nobody got paid, Rapoport expects big contracts to be flying left and right for safeties this time around. He also notes that the Redskins are expected to be interested in Landon Collins, who the Giants recently decided to let walk.

Here’s the latest from around the league on the night before free agency opens:

  • In addition to safeties, it should be a very active market for free agent pass-rushers. Premier defensive linemen like Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald are starting to get more than $20MM per year on deals and we should get used to that, writes former NFL agent and current CBS Sports analyst Joel Corry. “Mack and Donald should soon have company in the $20 million-per-year non-quarterback club”, Corry writes. Corry broke down the market for edge rushers, and has a bunch of interesting tidbits in the article that is well-worth a read. Notably, he thinks Demarcus Lawrence could challenge and surpass the record-setting deals signed by Von Miller and Aaron Donald.
  • In case you were yearning for a Chad Kelly update, we’ve got one. The former Ole Miss star was released by the Broncos back in November after he was arrested following an incident after Von Miller’s Halloween party. He’s been out of a job ever since, but he appeared in court again last week. The young quarterback pleaded not guilty to the felony criminal trespassing charges he’s facing, according to Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com. He’ll be back in court in April, but it sounds like he’s fighting the case rather than accepting a plea deal. He’ll likely face discipline from the league if a team decides to give him another chance.
  • In case you missed it, despite rumors to the contrary, Dion Lewis is safe in Tennessee.

La Canfora’s Latest: Mathieu, Ravens, Bucs

March 6th, 2019 at 9:18pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While the Texans are attempting to retain Tyrann Mathieu, both the Ravens and Buccaneers have “serious interest” in the veteran defensive back, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Baltimore just released fellow safety Eric Weddle on Tuesday, while Tampa Bay has been in need of secondary help for years. Mathieu inked a one-year, $7MM deal with Houston last year, but he’s expected to receive a significant raise on his next contract. Per La Canfora, Mathieu should be able to collect $24MM over the first two years of a new deal.

Here’s more from JLC:

  • Overall, the safety market is not expected to be as depressed as it was a year ago, when Mathieu, Eric Reid, Kenny Vaccaro, Tre Boston, and others were forced to settle for one-year pacts. Earl Thomas will set the market and is asking for $13MM annually, per La Canfora. Meanwhile, former Giants safety Landon Collins — now on the market after New York declined to franchise him — will likely come in below Thomas, and Bears defender Adrian Amos is searching for $9-10MM per year.
  • While there aren’t any clear-cut, No. 1 wideouts available this offseason, slot receivers are aplenty, and they should get paid, says JLC. Golden Tate is looking for $13MM per season, while Adam Humphries may be targeting $10MM annually and has already been deemed too expensive to return to the Buccaneers. Cole Beasley could also get $10MM per year, while John Brown wants $8-9MM per season.
  • Offensive tackle Daryl Williams is expected to reach the open market, and La Canfora reports Williams’ price has already “soared” above where the Panthers are comfortable paying. Both the Bills and Giants are expected to target Williams, and both connections make sense. Buffalo employs former Carolina staffer Brandon Beane as its general manager, while ex-Panthers GM Dave Gettleman is in charge in New York.
  • The Raiders have already been mentioned as a potential suitor for Chargers receiver Tyrell Williams, and the Colts could also join the fray, per La Canfora. Williams is expected to earn more than $12MM per year on his new deal.

Cowboys Rumors: Earl Thomas, Witten, Draft

March 1st, 2019 at 8:14pm CST by Micah Powell

Seahawks free agent safety Earl Thomas is expected seek $15MM a year with his next deal, The Athletic’s Calvin Watkins tweets.

Watkins notes that figure might be too high for the Cowboys. Though possessing plenty of cap space this offseason, the team is expected to use most of that money in signing Demarcus Lawrence to a long-term deal and working on extensions for players like Dak Prescott and Byron Jones.

Thomas and the Cowboys have long been linked ever since the All-Pro safety told head coach Jason Garrett to “come get him” following a 2017 game. The Cowboys and Seahawks were in talks on trades for the star defender in the offseason but could not come to an agreement on draft-round compensation.

Thomas, a Texas native and longtime Cowboys fan, reportedly will not take a “hometown” discount with the team and is also expected to be courted by the 49ers.

Here’s more surrounding the Cowboys:

  • When asked whether the newly signed Jason Witten is a “coach in waiting,” owner Jerry Jones said that he will be with the team in the future, whether that is as a coach or in another position, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen tweets. After a year-long hiatus, Witten made a shocking decision when he decided to come back for another season in 2019. Long considered a future NFL coach, Witten is sure to make a move in that direction following what is, presumably, his last season.
  • Speaking of Witten, when the future Hall of Famer rejoined the team, it was expected the Cowboys would not take a tight end early in the draft. That might not be the case, as the team has already met with Iowa’s T.J. Hockenson, The Dallas Morning News’ Jon Machota tweets. Though they might have interest, the Cowboys do not possess their first-round pick thanks to the Amari Cooper trade and the college standout will likely be gone before their Day 2 selection.
  • Like we said earlier, the Cowboys are expected to use most of their cap space to resign their own players this year. The team has already met with the agents for Prescott, Jones and Cooper, and are expected to meet with Lawrence’s agent tonight, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill Jr. tweets. They have not met with Ezekiel Elliott‘s agent yet, but have indicated plenty of interest in resigning him at some point.

 

Earl Thomas Won’t Give Discount To Cowboys

March 1st, 2019 at 10:09am CST by Zachary Links

Earl Thomas is looking to become the highest paid safety in the NFL, a source tells Clarence Hill of the Star Telegram. Therefore, as Hill hears, the Texas native will not be offering any sort of hometown discount to the Cowboys. 

Thomas has long been connected to the Cowboys. Last year, he bowed to the Dallas bench after an interception in September, cut in-season plans short to catch the Cowboys on TV, and appeared to have further word of his interest to the press through backchannels. Recently, former Seahawks teammate Richard Sherman indicated that Thomas would sign with the Cowboys if they matched any other offer, but Thomas’ camp probably moved to silence such talk with today’s leak.

Becoming the highest-paid safety in the league would require Thomas to beat out Eric Berry‘s $13MM/year contract. That could be tough for a few reasons: Thomas is coming off of a season-ending leg fracture, he’ll turn 30 in May, and the free agent safety market was a huge letdown for top players last offseason.

On the other hand, Thomas still profiles as one of the best free safeties in the NFL. In 2017, Thomas earned his sixth Pro Bowl nod, logged his second career pick six, and graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 5 safety. He finished out with 88 tackles, two interceptions, and seven passes defensed in that season.

The Cowboys would ostensibly love to add Thomas, but they’re not exactly flush with cap space. If Thomas is intent on getting the biggest payday possible, he’s unlikely to wind up in Dallas.

NFC East Notes: OBJ, Cowboys, Redskins

February 28th, 2019 at 5:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dave Gettleman gave his Odell Beckham Jr. party line again this week, insisting the Giants were planning to keep him. However, trade gusts continue to swirl in Indianapolis. While the Giants won’t move Beckham for a below-market deal, Jay Glazer of The Athletic notes (subscription required) buzz around the Combine points to the team being ready to part ways with the superstar wideout if the offer is fair. Glazer predicted earlier this month Beckham would be traded. Teams are higher on Beckham than Antonio Brown, with the latter’s antics posing a significant problem for some, Glazer hears. This could inflate Beckham’s value, but Gettleman will surely need to be blown away to part ways with the recently extended wideout.

Here’s the latest from the NFC East quartet:

  • Jason Witten‘s exit from the Monday Night Football booth shocked many, and the Cowboys already appear to have a plan for the recently unretired tight end. They are planning to deploy Witten around 25 snaps per game, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. The future Hall of Fame tight end, who will turn 37 in May, does not want to impede incumbents Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz‘s progress, per Hill, and is fine with a 25-snaps-per-game workload.
  • Another way the 2019 Cowboys could be flashier than the ’18 version: if Earl Thomas joins the team. Long connected to the Cowboys, the Texas native looks to still view Dallas as his preferred destination. If the money is equal, Thomas will pick Dallas, former teammate Richard Sherman said (via Matt Barrows of The Athletic, subscription required). However, the 49ers cornerback added that another team outflanking the Cowboys would make it a fairer fight. Thomas’ camp met with the Cowboys’ Combine contingent on Thursday, according to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (Twitter link). It doesn’t sound like the Cowboys will go all-in for the three-time All-Pro, with JLC adding the team is casting a wide net (on a deep safety market) to help here. But the soon-to-be 30-year-old defender certainly appears to still be on Dallas’ radar.
  • Nick Foles has now been connected to the Jaguars and Giants, but the Redskins also need a starting quarterback. Or do they? Washington appears likely to avoid spending starter-level cash on a veteran, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link). Colt McCoy has one season remaining on his contract, and a report earlier this month indicated the Redskins are high on their backup as a possible stopgap starter. McCoy, 32, has not been a full-time starter since working in that capacity for the 2011 Browns. He started 21 games for Cleveland from 2010-11 before becoming a well-regarded backup.
  • The Eagles are finally under the projected cap, but they are still floating Nelson Agholor‘s name as a trade option at the Combine, La Canfora writes. The 2015 first-round pick’s salary is set to spike to $9.4MM. Although Philadelphia is not going through with its Foles tag-and-trade plan, taking a $25MM cap hold off the books, Agholor’s salary will still affect a team with just $6MM in cap space. Only the Jaguars hold less.

Extra Points: Cowboys, Chiefs, Darkwa

February 19th, 2019 at 9:55pm CST by Ben Levine

Jerry Jones only helped add fuel to the fire today regarding Earl Thomas potentially joining the Cowboys. When asked if the organization would pursue some help at safety, the team’s owner made his answer pretty clear.

“Yes,” Jones told ESPN’s Todd Archer (Twitter link). “That’s about all I’ll say, but yes.”

Of course, it’s important to note that Jones never explicitly mentioned Thomas, but it’s pretty easy to assume that the organization will pursue the veteran defensive back. The mutual interest between the two sides has been covered extensively, although the NFL recently made it clear that the Cowboys didn’t tamper when it came to the 29-year-old.

Of course, Dallas ultimately may look to leverage Thomas’ interest in joining the Cowboys. The team is projected to have around $50MM in cap space, but a solid portion of that total will go towards a DeMarcus Lawrence franchise tag and other extensions. As a result, the team may not have a whole lot of money to give Thomas.

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL…

  • The Chiefs have finalized their defensive coaching staff under new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. As Brooke Pryor of KansasCity.com writes, the biggest addition was defensive line coach and run game coordinator Brendan Daly, who previously served in that role with the Patriots. The organization has also added linebackers coach Matt House, defensive backs coach Dave Merritt, defensive backs/cornerbacks coach Sam Madison, linebackers coach Britt Reid, defensive quality control coach Terry Bradden, and defensive assistant Alex Whittingham.
  • Steelers linebacker Jon Bostic may have appeared in all 16 games this season, but his role was reduced as the season went on. While the journeyman may be able to find a bigger role elsewhere, he’s still hoping to stay in Pittsburgh. “Obviously this is my first year here and whatnot; hopefully we can make this place a home,” Bostic told Chris Adamski of TribLive.com. “It’s been a fun year; definitely didn’t go the way we would have planned (missing the playoffs). But that’s football. You can’t plan everything out. But I do (feel like the Steelers’ organization can be home).” Bostic is set to earn $1.8MM next season, and the team would be left with only $700K in dead cap if they released the 27-year-old.
  • It sounds like we now have an explanation for why Orleans Darkwa never joined an NFL team last season. The veteran running back told ESPN’s Jordan Raanan that he tore the Achilles tendon in his right leg during an October audition with the Jaguars. The 26-year-old was coming off his most productive NFL season in 2017, rushing for 751 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 171 carries. The Giants had offered him a contract that would have kept him in New York, and he also received interest from the Redskins, Patriots, and Bills.

NFC East Notes: Thomas, Eli, Guice, Eagles

February 18th, 2019 at 9:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Linked for more than a year now, Earl Thomas and the Cowboys could be a match soon. Thomas seems certain to hit the market, and the Cowboys offered a second-round pick for him last year. It would only take money to bring Thomas to Dallas this year, but the sides may not be as strong of a match. The Cowboys hold nearly $50MM in cap space, but a big chunk of that will likely go to another DeMarcus Lawrence franchise tag. Other funds will be earmarked for extensions for several young talents. The Cowboys could use safety help, but Albert Breer of SI.com does not get the vibe the organization will be ready to shell out top-end safety money to bring Thomas to Dallas.

On the eve of the franchise tag window opening, here is the latest from the NFC East:

  • More evidence for the Eli Manning-will-be-back noise: the 15-year Giants quarterback has been working out at the team facility throughout the offseason, Breer notes. While this is not unusual, as Manning does this annually, his conditioning headquarters may have shifted had the Giants given him an indication they were legitimately considering moving on from him. Although nothing concrete has emerged on this front yet, Manning remaining the starter is the expectation for 2019.
  • The Redskins have experienced some significant trouble with infections lately, with the respective recoveries of Alex Smith and Derrius Guice delayed because of post-surgery complications. Guice’s road back from a torn ACL was sidetracked by two months, but the running back is now sprinting full speed again. The LSU product revealed in a first-person recovery diary for the Redskins’ website (via J.P. Finlay of NBC Sports Washington) he has yet to cut at full speed, though. Training camp, and not OTAs, may be the goal, Finlay points out. That would not be a surprise given how quickly Guice went down last year.
  • With the Broncos completing a trade for Joe Flacco — a move the Redskins explored — might Washington attempt to pursue Case Keenum? Washington’s financial obligations seem likely to prevent that, Finlay writes. Smith and Colt McCoy combine for nearly $25MM of Washington’s cap space, and Finlay expects Keenum — even in the event Denver releases him — to command a high-end backup deal. Chase Daniel‘s accord averages $5MM per year, and Keenum’s 2017 season would seemingly make him likely to surpass that. However, if Washington won’t pay a high-seven-figure sum for a veteran on Keenum’s level, pursuing Teddy Bridgewater would be difficult. If the Redskins are to chase a veteran to start over McCoy, they will likely have to at least enter high-end backup spending territory.
  • Although Jason Kelce said immediately after the Eagles‘ divisional-round loss he was considering retirement, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia gets the sense the All-Pro center is leaning toward returning for 2019. Kelce is only 31 and may have another contract to come. But for now, he’s attached to an Eagles-friendly deal that has him making $6.5MM salary. No guaranteed money remains on Kelce’s deal, which he signed in February 2014.

NFL: Cowboys Did Not Tamper With Earl Thomas

February 1st, 2019 at 12:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Earl Thomas‘ flirtations with the Cowboys have been well-documented. The Cowboys, some say, have flirted back, but the league found no wrongdoing on the part of the organization, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 

Over the last year, Thomas has professed his love to the Cowboys in a number of ways. He bowed to the Dallas bench after an interception in September, cut plans short to catch the Cowboys on TV, and likely leaked further word of his interest to the press through backchannels.

Meanwhile, it was alleged that Cowboys staff members made comments to Thomas before a game this year that may have violated tampering laws. It’s unclear whether such comments were actually made, but in any event, the league will not pursue the allegations.

The Cowboys flirted with the idea of a Thomas trade, but all trade discussions were brought to a screeching halt when Thomas was carted off of the field with a season-ending leg fracture. While being carted off of the field, Thomas flipped off his own bench.

After wrapping up his four-year, $40MM extension, Thomas will be an unrestricted free agent in March.

NFC Notes: Thomas, Garoppolo, Griffen

October 7th, 2018 at 11:33am CST by Rory Parks

The obscene parting shot that Seahawks safety Earl Thomas made in the direction of his team’s bench as he was being carted off the field last week was not directed at any one person or player, but at the Seattle organization as a whole, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. And, even though all signs were already pointing towards a parting of the ways between Thomas, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, and the only NFL team he has ever known, Schefter reports that the Seahawks are not expected to use the franchise tag on Thomas, which all but ensures that he will not return to Seattle in 2019.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Thomas will have surgery to have a rod inserted in his leg this week, which will increase his chances of healing while lowering his chances of a re-fracture, so he is expected to be fully healthy well before free agency officially opens in March.

Now for more from the NFC, starting with another item out of Seattle:

  • Seahawks LB Mychal Kendricks was hit with an indefinite suspension earlier this week, and Schefter reports that Kendricks, his lawyers, and the NFLPA are still battling to prove that the NFL does not have the right to impose such a ban in his case. Instead, Kendricks is arguing that the league should suspend him for a specific number of games, thereby allowing him to return to action this season and play until he receives his sentence for insider trading in January.
  • In keeping with a report from several days ago that 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo underwent successful surgery on his torn ACL, Rapoport tweets that Garoppolo faces a relatively obstacle-free rehab. His ACL was the only thing that needed to be repaired, so he is expected to make a full recovery.
  • We heard at the end of last month that there was no definite timeline for Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen to return to the team, and Schefter reported today that Griffen is not expected to return anytime soon. Griffen, of course, is tending to apparently serious mental health issues.
  • Lions guard T.J. Lang suffered at least the fifth concussion of his career last week, and assuming he wants to continue his career, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com believes 2018 will be his last season in Detroit. Lang is under contract through 2019, but he missed games last year because of brain, back and foot issues, and he is dealing with brain and back issues again this year. He would carry a cap hit of $11.7MM in 2019, and Meinke does not envision Detroit ponying up that kind of cash given Lang’s recent spate of injury problems.
  • The Buccaneers recently worked out former first-round draft choice Paxton Lynch, but Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports that the Bucs have no interest in signing Lynch at this time.
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