Is a homecoming in store for Earl Thomas?
Thomas, who has played all nine seasons of his NFL career with the Seattle Seahawks, is expected to be one of the more sought-after defensive players in free agency this offseason. While adding Thomas would serve as an upgrade for the majority of secondaries across the league, three-time Super Bowl champion Willie McGinest believes it’s “easy” to predict where the veteran safety will end up.
.@WillieMcGinest explains why @Earl_Thomas is such a good fit for the Cowboys.
And @ShaunOHara60 identifies a dark horse for his services on the West Coast 👀
📺: @NFLTotalAccess pic.twitter.com/x5eUXmeVf5
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) February 22, 2019
Thomas was born and raised in the Lone Star State and played his college ball with the Texans Longhorns. Rumors of the 29-year-old eventually joining the Cowboys have been circulating for quite some time, and the chatter, by and large, was ignited by Thomas’ postgame message to Dallas head coach Jason Garrett in 2017. The Cowboys reportedly mulled over the possibility of trading for Thomas in the past year-plus and now they’d be able to obtain the six-time Pro Bowl selection without dealing with the burdens of a trade.
That said, it remains to be seen what kind of financial demands Thomas will have on the open market. After all, he’ll turn 30 in early May and is coming off a 2018 season, in which he played just four games due to a broken bone in his leg. Thomas likely still can play at a high level, but it would be tough to blame a team for not wanting to get involved in a long-term/lucrative commitment.
The new league year gets underway March 13.