Earl Thomas Situation (Leg Fracture)

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We all knew this was going to happen.  Thomas stated months ago that he would not play another down of football without a new deal.  I know several of you wanted Thomas to be traded before the draft, but obviously that did not happen.  I have always been on the side of the fence that wants Thomas to be re-signed.  The interesting this is, how long does Thomas hold out?  Most guys talk a tough game, but they eventually start to play as the fines ramp up and they are not collecting checks.  Thomas has openly stated he is willing to sit out the entire season.

* Do you guys think the Seahawks and Thomas come to a long term deal?  If so, what are you predicting the numbers be?

* Do you guys think the Seahawks trade Thomas?  If so, what teams do you think would have serious interest and what could some potential compensation be?

* If the Seahawks and Thomas are not able to come to a contract agreement, how long do you envision Thomas sitting out?  How many games (if any) do you predict he will miss?  Or do you think he's ready to go and play week 1 of the regular season?

@animaltested @ditchdigger @SoS @Tatupu_64 @NFL_Announcer @Ryan_W @One Punch Man @Zman724 @RandomCampBody @imani

[NFL_Announcer 14]

Whatever.

Earl Thomas made it clear he didn't want to play for Seattle multiple times last season as well as this offseason. Trade him? Sure... however, the market was not there for safeties this year. We had a ton of decent ranked safeties as free agents and the draft class wasn't half bad either. Seattle would've gotten a 3rd MAX for someone like Thomas, and that's simply not worth what he can bring to the field this year. 

Sure some might think, "But he might be mailing it in this year." It's a contract year, and despite Thomas' bull**** about retiring, he wants money. He'll perform to a high level this year, give Seattle a playoff shot, and generate a huge learning curve to one of the youngest secondaries in the league (outside of Max/Chanc). 

Seattle wanted a 1st or GTFO.. when Seattle's FO realized they were nowhere NEAR that in the FA market, they rescinded. Done and done... football economics boys. 

Edited June 10, 2018 by NFL_Announcer

[One Punch Man 146]

Pretty much what @NFL_Announcer said, although I’m fine with trading him for lesser value at this point. 

 

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It's not worth trading Thomas unless we're getting equal value back and that obviously will not be the case.  If the Seahawks are serious about making a playoff push this year and they want to continue to contend over the new few years, then they really need to give Earl Thomas the money he deserves.

[SoS 37]

I’m getting pretty tired of Earl. Don’t get me wrong, I see where he’s coming from, because frankly the plan otherwise is to let him play out his deal, slap him with the tag, and play it by ear from there. 

He just hasn’t handled this situation well at all. I know the most we were offered was a 3rd this year, which in theory translates to a 2nd next year. If you can get that compensation, I think you pull the trigger without hesitation. Purge the guys that don’t want to be here. 

[Ryan_W 58]

everyone 'wants to play' while their teammates are on rookie contracts

I'd trade for him for something with upside; too much noise from him, let him sit.

we'd pay if our last 2-3 years of drafts picks had panned out, but our needs of the many outweigh the needs of the Earl

[JJO 4]

God this team has been **** show and the locker room has been a cancer since Superbowl 49. Went from a bunch of players with chips on their shoulders to prove to everyone they were the real deal to a bunch of egotistical prima donnas. 

Edited June 15, 2018 by JJO

[animaltested 249]

I dont know what the team should do. Call his bluff I guess?

Im torn over this situation. On one hand, I really want Earl on this team, because I still think Seattle has a chance to make the playoffs still, and Earl definitely improves those odds. That being said, I will always support a player using the tiny bit of leverage they have to maximize their earning potential in the short term. People have always been uneasy with the last part of a contract. For athletes, a number of things completely out of their control can impact their future earnings by 10s of millions of dollars. 

Yet, I do think with the roster refresh happening, and Russell Wilsons contract situation, Id rather allocate Earl money to other parts of the team. The ideal situation for me would be Earl plays for the entire 2018-2019 season, and gets a big fat pay day from another team in 2020. 

Edited June 16, 2018 by animaltested

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On 6/16/2018 at 1:27 AM, animaltested said:

I dont know what the team should do. Call his bluff I guess?

Im torn over this situation. On one hand, I really want Earl on this team, because I still think Seattle has a chance to make the playoffs still, and Earl definitely improves those odds. That being said, I will always support a player using the tiny bit of leverage they have to maximize their earning potential in the short term. People have always been uneasy with the last part of a contract. For athletes, a number of things completely out of their control can impact their future earnings by 10s of millions of dollars. 

Yet, I do think with the roster refresh happening, and Russell Wilsons contract situation, Id rather allocate Earl money to other parts of the team. The ideal situation for me would be Earl plays for the entire 2018-2019 season, and gets a big fat pay day from another team in 2020. 

It seems like the team possibly doesn't know what to do, either.  If they were going to trade Earl Thomas, then it probably should have been done aggressively before the NFL draft.  

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[Sacks98 15]

At this point keep him unless we get blown away with a deal and then maybe franchise him i don't know how costly that would be but i would do it if the price was right.

 

I would call him on his bluff to because very rarely will a player hold out of a regular season game.

Edited July 26, 2018 by Sacks98

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13 hours ago, Sacks98 said:

At this point keep him unless we get blown away with a deal and then maybe franchise him i don't know how costly that would be but i would do it if the price was right.

 

I would call him on his bluff to because very rarely will a player hold out of a regular season game.

I've always been on the 'keep Earl Thomas train', but it really seems like the situation isn't really repairable at this point.  I suppose the Seahawks could just pay him, but at this point it seems like Thomas would rather be paid elsewhere and the bridge has burned with Seattle.  

[animaltested 249]

He gone. If the rumblings are true, that bridge went from creaky and cracked, to collapsed and smoldering.

[Sacks98 15]

23 hours ago, showtime said:

I've always been on the 'keep Earl Thomas train', but it really seems like the situation isn't really repairable at this point.  I suppose the Seahawks could just pay him, but at this point it seems like Thomas would rather be paid elsewhere and the bridge has burned with Seattle.  

I used to be of the mind of cutting bait with him but why not hold onto him  as long as possible? Unless we get an offer we can't refuse it would be a waste just to dump him.

Edited July 27, 2018 by Sacks98

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This is looking scary