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Earl Thomas

West Notes: Ray, Rivers, Thomas

May 20th, 2018 at 9:38am CST by Rory Parks

Most of the fifth-year option decisions this offseason were no-brainers, but what the Broncos would do with respect to Shane Ray‘s 2019 option was a little tougher to predict. Ultimately, Denver chose to decline the option, which means that Ray will be eligible for free agency following the 2018 campaign, and head coach Vance Joseph believes that the chance to hit the open market will make the Missouri product especially motivated to produce at a high level this year.

Joseph said (via Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post), “[Ray] is really motivated. He understands it’s business. And he’s ready for a challenge. He wants to be a great player and, in my opinion, before he got hurt last year (early in training camp) he was on his way to having a great year. I am not surprised that he is motivated and engaged. The ball is in his court. He can earn a lot more than what the option offered him if he goes out there and does what we think he can do.”

As O’Halloran notes, however, this could be Ray’s last season with the Broncos regardless of how he performs. If he does well, he could price himself out of Denver’s budget, and if he struggles, the Broncos may not want him back anyway.

Now for more notes from the league’s west divisions:

  • Joseph is not only impressed with Ray’s effort level this spring; he is also pleased by what he has seen from the Broncos‘ marquee free agent signing, Case Keenum. Joseph said (via the same piece linked above), “[W]atching Case the last couple of weeks on the field, man, he’s a lot better than I remember. It’s definitely a good thing to watch him lead the guys and watch the guys respond to him. It’s refreshing for all of us to be in the presence of a veteran quarterback who has command. I think everyone is loving the fact we have a quarterback in place that can lead this team from spot 1, and that’s good for all of us.” 
  • In response to a reader’s question as to when the Chargers should plan for Philip Rivers‘ retirement, Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com suggests that it won’t be anytime soon, and that Rivers could play for another five years. After all, Rivers, 36, has already indicated he would like to play for a few more seasons, the club has not drafted a QB since 2013, and in addition to his continuing strong performance, he has not lost an ounce of motivation or even mentioned retirement, per quarterbacks coach Shane Steichen. And, as Williams notes, Rivers — who has not missed a start in more than a decade — predicates his game on anticipation and moving within the pocket, so loss of speed is not a huge issue.
  • Rayshawn Jenkins, whom the Chargers selected in the fourth round of last year’s draft, was primarily a special teams contributor in his rookie campaign, but as Williams notes, Los Angeles is giving the Miami product a shot at free safety this offseason. The team is intrigued by his athleticism, speed, and physicality, and the hope is that he can use those qualities to become a consistent presence on the defensive side of the ball.
  • Whether the Seahawks will trade Earl Thomas this offseason has been something of an open question over the past few months, but it sounds as if his next contract — he is eligible for free agency next year — will not come from Seattle. As Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets, even though Thomas will command top dollar, the Seahawks could pay him if they wanted to. But in light of Thomas’ age (29), the fact that the team is in something of a retooling phase, and what has happened to some of the Seahawks’ older players over the last few years, Seattle seems unlikely to make the kind of commitment that Thomas is looking for.

Extra Points: Manziel, Thomas, Bolts, Browns

May 19th, 2018 at 7:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

It does not appear the Johnny Manziel saga will return to the NFL until at least the end of the decade. Manziel’s two-year contract with the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats is a binding deal, and CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets no escape clause for the purposes of venturing to the NFL exists in the league’s collective bargaining agreement. The CFL previously voted on a possible escape-hatch option, but the proposal was rejected. La Canfora adds Manziel’s professional football options will come exclusively in Canada for the next two years (Twitter link). The NFL may be a faraway bridge considering how the former Heisman Trophy winner fared in his two years with the Browns and the many months that went by without any team showing significant interest.

As for Manziel’s deal, La Canfora reports (on Twitter) the 25-year-old passer will earn a $122K base salary in 2018. An additional $10K signing bonus is included, as well as an $18K housing stipend. La Canfora adds $10K escalators will trigger if Manziel hits six-, 10- and 14-game benchmarks this season. He’ll receive a $120K bonus if he plays in half the snaps, per JLC, and a $75K offseason bonus is due on March 1, 2019. Manziel’s 2019 salary spikes to $202K, and the same incentives are present.

Shifting back to the NFL, here’s the latest:

  • In supporting his former Seahawks teammate, Richard Sherman revealed a bit about Earl Thomas‘ goals for what will be his third NFL contract. “I think Earl Thomas deserves the money he’s asking for,” Sherman told former teammate and current NFL Network analyst Michael Robinson on Saturday (via NFL.com). “I think he deserves to be compensated as the top safety in the league. Whether Seattle does that or not is up to them.” Financial figures haven’t really emerged regarding this potential standoff, but if the Seahawks are to pay top dollar for their three-time All-Pro defender, it will cost them more than $13MM per year. And that could be a bridge too far for a retooling team that’s dangled Thomas in trades. When Thomas agreed to his initial Seattle extension, his $10MM-per-year salary paced NFL safeties. Five are now ahead of him.
  • Hue Jackson has repeatedly said he would like Tyrod Taylor to start throughout this season. But cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot does not see the Browns opting to re-sign Taylor after this season. She expects Mayfield to make a serious charge for the starting role at some point this season. If it turns out Taylor is a catalyst that leads the Browns to a major turnaround, Cabot expects him to hit the market as a coveted commodity — and one the Browns will not be paying for — in 2019.
  • The Chargers drafted Kevin White‘s younger brother, Kyzir White, in the fourth round. And the Bolts will move Kyzir from safety to linebacker, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. Denzel Perryman has one of Los Angeles’ linebacker spots locked down, with Kyle Emanuel and former seventh-round pick Hayes Pullard tentatively slotted in the other spots. The Bolts also drafted USC’s Uchenna Nwosu in the second round. But it doesn’t appear White will factor into the Bolts’ safety picture behind Jahleel Addae and Derwin James at this time.
  • The Saints gave UDFA tight end Deon Yelder $90K guaranteed to sign, Joel Erickson of The Advocate notes. A former wide receiver recruit at Western Kentucky, Yelder spent time behind current Rams tight end Tyler Higbee and current Seahawks left tackle George Fant while with the Hilltoppers prior to receiving plenty of playing time last season. New Orleans has struggled to replace Jimmy Graham and recently cut Coby Fleener. Yelder will try to make a team that has 37-year-old Benjamin Watson and Josh Hill atop its depth chart.
  • In a lower-stakes matter, the Patriots have $215 committed to Malcolm Butler on this year’s payroll, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. Apparently, one day of workout cash last offseason didn’t get tallied until now.

Cowboys Still Interested In Earl Thomas

May 3rd, 2018 at 4:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

It appears the Cowboys’ refusal to send a second-round pick to the Seahawks for Earl Thomas did not squash their interest in acquiring the three-time All-Pro safety. The Cowboys remain in the Thomas market, per David Moore of the Dallas Morning News, but it’s unclear how badly the franchise wants to execute a deal.

Moore reports the Cowboys are still interested in trading for Thomas. However, despite a rather interesting safety setup that features Jeff Heath and 2017 sixth-rounder Xavier Woods as the penciled-in starters, they aren’t desperate for his services. Moore notes they will be willing to wait out the Seahawks’ situation with Thomas.

John Schneider does not expect his superstar safety to hold out, despite repeated threats at doing so, and the Seattle GM reiterated that’s the sense he’s getting.

“My sense is that he wants to be here,” Schenider said Thursday, via ESPN Seattle’s Jessamyn McIntyre (Twitter link). “I haven’t got that sense from his agents at all.”

The Cowboys are searching for safety help, and while it’s a good year to do that — with Eric Reid, Tre Boston and Kenny Vaccaro still oddly unattached nearly two months into the 2018 league year — Thomas brings a much higher pedigree. The soon-to-be 29-year-old defender remains one of the top players at his position, and the Texas native surely wouldn’t be upset if the Cowboys acquired him.

Despite Dallas’ need at safety, the team didn’t inquire about trading up for Derwin James once he fell in Round 1, Moore reports, and selected an offensive lineman in Round 2 and a wideout in Round 3. Executive VP Stephen Jones said the team considered drafting a safety, and Jerry Jones said the team is interested in finding veteran help. Jerry Jones added post-draft that the Cowboys have cornerbacks who can play safety, perhaps indicating Byron Jones‘ shift to cornerback may not be permanent.

Moore writes that Thomas can help facilitate this by holding out and/or refusing to sign a Seahawks extension. One year remains on his deal. But for now, Seattle brass continues to publicly state they expect Thomas to remain their secondary’s centerpiece this season.

Cowboys Balked At Trading Second-Rounder For Earl Thomas

April 30th, 2018 at 6:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Earl Thomas appears to be staying put in Seattle, but the Cowboys’ discussions about a deal that would send the All-Pro safety to Dallas hit a snag when the prospect of second-round compensation surfaced.

The Cowboys did not want to surrender their 2018 second-round pick for Thomas, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. While a third-rounder and “a lot more” may have been enough to seal this deal, per Rapoport, the sides could not come to an agreement and Thomas remains a Seahawk.

Dallas ended up taking Connor Williams with the No. 50 overall pick. Thomas is entering his age-29 season and has one more year remaining on his contract. Should he reach free agency in 2019, it’s possible the Cowboys could pursue him again then. But for now, the three-time All-Pro remains as the centerpiece of the revamped Seattle secondary.

John Schneider characterized Thomas-centric trade talks as discussions that did not reach the final stages. The Seahawks had set a higher price — reportedly at a first- and third-round pick — for Thomas in the weeks leading up to the draft, but it appears they lowered their price come draft weekend. But no team was willing to meet the reduced asking price.

Set to move Byron Jones to cornerback, the Cowboys are rather thin at safety. They are on the lookout for veteran help at the position, per Jerry Jones.

Latest On Earl Thomas

April 28th, 2018 at 10:28am CST by Ben Levine

There were rumblings that the Seahawks were shopping veteran safety Earl Thomas, but coach Pete Carroll made it sound like the defensive back is saying put next season.

“It’s awesome,” Carroll said (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson). “Earl’s a great football player. You may have looked [at it] like he wasn’t going to be here; we didn’t look at it like that. That’s been a lot of speculation on your guys’ end of this thing. We’ve been counting on Earl being here the whole time.”

General manager John Schneider acknowledged that there were discussions about a Thomas trade, but he noted “that nothing was remotely close to happening.” It sounds like the GM wasn’t really planning on dealing the safety after all, as Schneider also noted that he wouldn’t be doing his job if he didn’t consider every offer.

The 28-year-old has spent his entire career in Seattle, earning six Pro Bowl selections. In 14 games last season, Thomas compiled 88 tackles, seven passes defended, and two interceptions.

Latest On Cowboys, Seahawks’ Earl Thomas

April 27th, 2018 at 9:21am CST by Zachary Links

Friday may be the de facto deadline for the Cowboys to pull off a trade for Seahawks safety Earl Thomas. The Seahawks have had some recent talks with Dallas about the star defender and we’ll know by tonight whether the Cowboys will land him, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 

It’s only logical that a blockbuster trade for Thomas would have to involve picks from Day 2 of the draft. The Cowboys are not willing to sell out for Thomas, as Ed Werder detailed earlier this week, but they do have a second round pick (No. 50) and a third round pick (No. 81) to work with if a deal is within reach. Still, Rapoport classifies the odds of a deal coming together as something of a longshot.

Last month, it was reported that the Seahawks were seeking a first round pick and a third round pick for the six-time Pro Bowler. The ship has sailed on netting a 2018 first-round choice, but Seattle, in actuality, could be willing to take less.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys will have to consider the cost of a new contract for Thomas in any potential trade. The safety is entering the final year of a four-year, $40MM deal and they’d probably have to hammer out a sizable extension before pulling the trigger on a deal.

Latest On Cowboys, Earl Thomas

April 25th, 2018 at 2:03pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys have long been connected with Earl Thomas, but they’re not about to sell out to land the Seahawks safety. A trade for Thomas is not a draft priority for Dallas, a source tells veteran NFL reporter Ed Werder (on Twitter). However, they remain interested in him as a player and they are willing to engage in trade talks if Seattle lowers its asking price.

In March, it was reported that the Seahawks were asking teams for a first-round pick and a third-round pick to part ways with the six-time Pro Bowler. Seahawks GM John Schneider recently went on the record to say that he expects Thomas to be a part of the team in 2018, but his contractual situation complicates things. Thomas is entering the final year of his four-year, $40MM accord and is pushing for an extension. The safety was absent from the start of Seattle’s offseason program and he has threatened to hold out if he does not get a new deal before the start of the season.

The Seahawks parted ways with stars Michael Bennett and Richard Sherman this offseason, so they are clearly not opposed to trading established veterans. The Cowboys, meanwhile, will have a spot for Thomas if they follow through on their plan to move Byron Jones from safety to cornerback. For a deal to go down, however, Seattle will have to meet Dallas somewhere in the middle.

NFC West Notes: Seahawks, Thomas, 49ers

April 22nd, 2018 at 7:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite the Seahawks expecting Earl Thomas not to hold out, they still have him on the trade block, John Clayton of ESPN said during a radio appearance with KESN in Dallas (via the Dallas Morning News). Clayton added that the Seahawks would likely be willing to move their three-time All-Pro safety for less than a first-round pick, indicating they would probably trade Thomas for a package featuring second- and fourth-round selections and perhaps something in the 2019 draft. Clayton indicates the Cardinals could use a free safety but that the Seahawks were not going to trade Thomas to an NFC West team. The Cowboys moving Byron Jones to cornerback would open a spot there, and Thomas was vocal about being receptive to a Dallas deal, and they strike Clayton as the top suitor for the 28-year-old defender’s services.

Here’s the latest from Seattle, along with other West-division locales, heading into draft week:

  • Pete Carroll said this week the door wasn’t closed between the Seahawks and Colin Kaepernick, but Clayton said this partnership will be unlikely. The longtime ESPN reporter added the Seahawks did work out Kaepernick last year when he visited but did not offer him a contract because Carroll exited the interview with the impression the former 49er still wanted to be an NFL starter rather than a backup.
  • The 49ers covered their linebacker bases this week. After hosting Roquan Smith on a top-30 visit, they welcomed Tremaine Edmunds to the Bay Area for a 30 summit, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports. The 49ers scheduled the Smith and Edmunds visits weeks ago and not in light of the charges levied against Reuben Foster, per Barrows.
  • Foster’s plea hearing is scheduled for Monday, April 30, and Barrows reports that if no delays occur, jury selection for this case would transpire in late July. With the 49ers barring Foster from their workouts until this matter is resolved, that’s going to essentially nullify the second-year linebacker’s offseason. However, the alleged victim has hired representation, which could cloud this case.
  • The Cardinals visited Texas A&M wide receiver Christian Kirk recently.

NFC West Notes: ‘Hawks, Thomas, Kaep

April 20th, 2018 at 12:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Seahawks GM John Schneider says he has not talked to Earl Thomas‘ representatives since the combine, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets. However, Schneider added that is not unusual. Despite his name being floated in trade rumors this offseason, the GM says that he hopes to have Thomas on the roster when the season begins.

Here’s more from the NFC West:

NFC West Rumors: Gurley, Rams, Seahawks

April 17th, 2018 at 1:30pm CST by Zachary Links

After an aggressive offseason, many are wondering how the Rams will afford to hold on to their best players, including running back Todd Gurley, in the long run. Apparently, Gurley doesn’t share that same concern.

“Obviously, we know Aaron Donald is the guy to get paid,” Gurley told Alex Marvez of SiriusXM NFL Radio. “That’s the last thing we want to worry about is trying to get ours done when we need our best player to get paid. That’s not even really the focus right now,” Gurley said. “Once you win that Super Bowl, they don’t have a choice but to pay you whether it’s the Rams or any other team. Once we try to put that together and do that, everything will take care of itself. Just focus on what’s next.”

Gurley, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2015 draft, has one year remaining on his original rookie deal and is expected to be retained this offseason via the fifth year option. While he says that he’s not thinking about his next deal, it would behoove him and his reps to get a dialogue going with Los Angeles brass. Given the limited shelf life of running backs in the NFL and Gurley’s own injury history, it would make sense for him to gain financial security beyond 2019.

Here’s more from the NFC West:

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