Article by Antwon "Smitty" Smith
The Seattle Seahawks and safety Earl Thomas are at a crossroads and the only solution seems to be a trade or release of Thomas. Thomas is the last remaining member of the "Legion of Boom" which also consisted of Richard Sherman (signed with the 49ers as free agent) and Kam Chancellor (Retired due to neck injury), so now it's up to the Seahawks to shop him around. Thomas is seeking a new deal because he is currently in the last year of a 4-year/$40 million dollar deal. Seattle said publicly that they won't address his contact this season. If the Seahawks can strike a deal to move him, here are teams that could use his talents.
Oakland Raiders
Thomas fits John Gruden's mold as a player with his nose for the football. Oakland's secondary was a disaster last season, but Thomas' leadership could change the lack of consistency and futility of the back end of their defense. His former teammate Bruce Irvin could be a deciding factor in him landing in the Bay Area.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh is known for their defense historically but it's been the offense carrying them for the last couple of seasons, but that had to change very soon. Mike Tomlin has to vouch for management to go after Thomas because rookie Terrell Edmonds may not be ready to fill Mike Mitchell's shoes. If the Steelers sign Thomas, they would have a nice duo at safety which also has free agent signee Morgan Burnett.
Dallas Cowboys
Jason Garrett and the Cowboys make a lot sense because they could use depth at the safety position. They also could use Earl's experience to offset the youth back there. They only have one safety with more than years of experience. Thomas expressed interest in a tirade after the Seahawks game in Dallas last season, so does it mean Thomas will get his wish?
Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta could be a sleeper to land Thomas with all the ties that he has from Coach Quinn to Marquand Manuel, this could actually put them in the driver's seat in the NFC. Ricardo Allen is in the final year of his deal and so is Thomas, which means an even swap of Thomas and Allen, plus a draft pick could get this deal done. Atlanta would have to worry about cap space in this scenario, but if they can move some numbers around I could actually see this as the best fit of any team on my board.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers snatched Richard Sherman from free agency when the new league year began, so why not add another playmaker to their secondary? Sherman and Thomas played together for 7 seasons in Seattle, which they could feed off of their past success with the Seahawks. San Francisco needs the help at safety with the loss of Eric Reid and no proven safety on their roster, Thomas would be an instant upgrade in their secondary.
Those are my five teams that would be a good fit for Thomas if he cannot repair his relationship with the Seahawks. I wouldn't count Seattle out of the discussion, but if they want to move on, now is the best time to pull the trigger.
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