Earl Thomas

[Uncle Si]

He's a HOF caliber safety in the prime of his career with twi years left in his contract. Trading him would be a mistake, IMO. This team was a few missed fieldgoals from another 10 or 11 win season, and that was with no running game and a plethora of injuries on the defensive side if the ball. This idea that we need to rebuild after one bad season is silly to me.

I think ET is still a fantastic safety, probably one of the top 5 in the league.

However, I'd disagree he in his prime. I'd also disagree that the team doesn't need to "rebuild" to an extent. No, the team doesn't need an overhaul, but it certainly needs investment in a handful of areas and is low on resources (cap space and draft capital) to address it.



Would an ET trade provide enough to cover some of those areas? I don't think so. Not because he's so good.. i just don't see his value to other teams as being high enough to make the trade worth it.

Earl Thomas turns 29 in May and he doesn’t play one of the most physically demanding positions. Yes, he for sure is still in his prime.

He's also been injured a handful of times.

I love ET as a player and wouldn't be thrilled with the trade. My point is whether he's worth the high draft picks to some other team.

 

[original poster]

For what it’s worth I was speaking to Jason @ OverTheCap and he thought trade value wise it absolutely stops at a 2nd rounder.

No way I’d make the trade unless it’s for a mid first rounder and a mid round pick.

 

[Jville]

Just to correct an earlier post, Earl Thomas is scheduled to play out the final year of his current contract in 2018.

Earl is still an all pro caliber high safety. If he finishes his career in Dallas, that will change the look and feel of the defensive back field in a very clear way. So ...... enjoy his play in 2018. 2018 will be his 9th year.

My how time fly's.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Unless someone offers up a LOT, no way in heck should they let him go. We have already seen what the D looks like w/out him. He is one of the best, if not the best Safety in the league. Still have plenty left in the tank.

 

[Seymour]

For what it’s worth I was speaking to Jason @ OverTheCap and he thought trade value wise it absolutely stops at a 2nd rounder.

No way I’d make the trade unless it’s for a mid first rounder and a mid round pick.

Even if you were pretty certain we would only get 1 more year out of him before someone overpaid to get him?

I would keep him only if I felt we had a very good shot at a playoff run myself. That is a debate of it's own, but i'd say uncertain at best at this point personally. After that I say he goes to.... 1) highest bidder 2) Boys 3) Hawks.

 

[original poster]

For what it’s worth I was speaking to Jason @ OverTheCap and he thought trade value wise it absolutely stops at a 2nd rounder.

No way I’d make the trade unless it’s for a mid first rounder and a mid round pick.

Even if you were pretty certain we would only get 1 more year out of him before someone overpaid to get him?

I would keep him only if I felt we had a very good shot at a playoff run myself. That is a debate of it's own, but i'd say uncertain at best at this point personally. After that I say he goes to.... 1) highest bidder 2) Boys 3) Hawks.

It's a tough one it really is.

I'm not even totally sure I know what I'd do given the choice with Earl.

Sure you could trade him and get good draft capital or you could give him a third contract and he continues to play at an elite level for another 4 years.

It's the uncertainly I don't like with 3rd contracts.

 

[Seymour]

Exactly. Big 3rd contracts after what we've now seen with Sherm, Kam, and Cliff all in their 2nd seems like a tabu move at this point. Earl is a good test though since he has retained his value up to this point IMO.

 

[IdahoVandalHawk]

Man... If (When) Earl leaves, I'll die a little inside - like when the Mariners traded Ken Griffey Jr. to the Reds.

Dude is still the best in the game. There's no way you trade Earl. You build around Earl and Wags. As long as those guys are on the field, you've got a chance.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

Two years left is good, that means we don't have to do anything this year. As Kam found out, Earl will also find out that you have no leverage with more than one year left on your contract.

But no, as much as I love Earl, I don't extend him. Too old and too many injuries to give him another massive contract.

I keep him this year, and either trade him next off season to a team that will extend him.........or I let him play out his contract. We have one of the best safeties in the game on a great deal for us, no reason what so ever to do anything now. Unless a team offers a crazy draft pick package.

 

[original poster]

Two years left is good, that means we don't have to do anything this year. As Kam found out, Earl will also find out that you have no leverage with more than one year left on your contract.

But no, as much as I love Earl, I don't extend him. Too old and too many injuries to give him another massive contract.

I keep him this year, and either trade him next off season to a team that will extend him.........or I let him play out his contract. We have one of the best safeties in the game on a great deal for us, no reason what so ever to do anything now. Unless a team offers a crazy draft pick package.

He’s an UFA after the 2018 season.

 

[Seymour]

Two years left is good, that means we don't have to do anything this year. As Kam found out, Earl will also find out that you have no leverage with more than one year left on your contract.

But no, as much as I love Earl, I don't extend him. Too old and too many injuries to give him another massive contract.

I keep him this year, and either trade him next off season to a team that will extend him.........or I let him play out his contract. We have one of the best safeties in the game on a great deal for us, no reason what so ever to do anything now. Unless a team offers a crazy draft pick package.

He’s an UFA after the 2018 season.

And exactly why this is an important topic to both to Earl and the team.

Why would he even tell Garrett "come get me" if he had 2 years left?

 

[IBleedBlueAndGreen]

He's a HOF caliber safety in the prime of his career with twi years left in his contract. Trading him would be a mistake, IMO. This team was a few missed fieldgoals from another 10 or 11 win season, and that was with no running game and a plethora of injuries on the defensive side if the ball. This idea that we need to rebuild after one bad season is silly to me.

I think ET is still a fantastic safety, probably one of the top 5 in the league.

However, I'd disagree he in his prime. I'd also disagree that the team doesn't need to "rebuild" to an extent. No, the team doesn't need an overhaul, but it certainly needs investment in a handful of areas and is low on resources (cap space and draft capital) to address it.



Would an ET trade provide enough to cover some of those areas? I don't think so. Not because he's so good.. i just don't see his value to other teams as being high enough to make the trade worth it.

Ed Reed made the Pro Bowl when he was 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34.
He was a First Team All Pro when he was 31 and 33.
There is zero reason to believe Earl won't follow the same path.
He is absolutely still in his prime.

 

[Popeyejones]

I'll say this, and it applies Earl, Sherman, Bennett, Kam, Avril, and so on:

Purely as a 9ers fan, I'd be absolutely ecstatic if the Seahawks started parceling outtheir All Pros and Pro Bowlers from the strength of their team for draft picks, in the hopes that with those draft picks they'd land another generation of All Pros and Pro Bowlers.

If they did that, as a 9ers fan, I'd be giddy, and I can guarantee my fellow 9ers fans have their fingers crossed that the Hawks do this, and I'd be shocked if Rams and Cardinals fans felt any differently.

As a general rule, if fans of your division rivals are hoping your team does something, it's best tread lightly on doing that thing. :lol: :2thumbs:

 

[hawk45]

I personally think that the possibility of Earl playing at a high level another 3 or 4 years is easily as high or higher than us drafting someone who could perform well enough at his position to prevent a big drop-off in our defense.

Sherman is close to Earl status for me. Before his injury, teams still hardly never threw in his direction, and that was for a reason. Both Sherman and Earl have recovered from injuries and played at a very high level.

Bennett still played at a high level but is getting long in the tooth and plays a very demanding position. Ditto Avril, and Avril showed some drop-off last year to me before injury.

Kam is still a strong contributor but doesn't intimidate the same way anymore and doesn't come back from injury or from layoffs and play at near 100% like Earl did. I'd be happy with a good form tackler with coverage skills like a McDougald.

Earl and Wagner. You will never get like value for them so don't try. Even in a rebuild there are untouchables.

If that means we don't have 2nd and 3rd rounders this year, so what. Trade out of the first round, we suck in the first round anyhow.

Usually the trend on fan boards is to over-value the player. Trading Earl for a pick or two in the name of rebuilding feels like an overreaction to a down year, and to the fact that we are turning over a lot of coaches. It also feels like an overreaction to an outlier year in terms of more injuries on the defense.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

Two years left is good, that means we don't have to do anything this year. As Kam found out, Earl will also find out that you have no leverage with more than one year left on your contract.

But no, as much as I love Earl, I don't extend him. Too old and too many injuries to give him another massive contract.

I keep him this year, and either trade him next off season to a team that will extend him.........or I let him play out his contract. We have one of the best safeties in the game on a great deal for us, no reason what so ever to do anything now. Unless a team offers a crazy draft pick package.

He’s an UFA after the 2018 season.

My bad, I was just going off of what someone else said.

Then this is the year to poop or get off the pot with Earl. If Pete and John don't think he fits into their long term plans with a big contract extension that'll make him happy, then they really have no choice but to trade him to a team that will for as much as they can get.

They can't do what they did with Kam anymore, tell the player to play out their deal and they'll get a fat extension. Those days need to be over. Either you think Earl is going to play at a high level for another 3-4 years or you don't.

 

[MontanaHawk05]

This defense is going to suck in 2018. I just know it.

 

[Seymour]

Two years left is good, that means we don't have to do anything this year. As Kam found out, Earl will also find out that you have no leverage with more than one year left on your contract.

But no, as much as I love Earl, I don't extend him. Too old and too many injuries to give him another massive contract.

I keep him this year, and either trade him next off season to a team that will extend him.........or I let him play out his contract. We have one of the best safeties in the game on a great deal for us, no reason what so ever to do anything now. Unless a team offers a crazy draft pick package.

He’s an UFA after the 2018 season.

My bad, I was just going off of what someone else said.

Then this is the year to poop or get off the pot with Earl. If Pete and John don't think he fits into their long term plans with a big contract extension that'll make him happy, then they really have no choice but to trade him to a team that will for as much as they can get.

They can't do what they did with Kam anymore, tell the player to play out their deal and they'll get a fat extension. Those days need to be over. Either you think Earl is going to play at a high level for another 3-4 years or you don't.

Kam never played his deal out. He was signed to an extension with 1 year left. And for that early showing of gratitude we gave him, the team likely will be taking it in the ass money wise now with his injury situation.
(Note...no I don't have a big problem with this since he was under paid when you look back).
It's just more proof that good guys finish last.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Nope, D is gonna' be good next year. I just know it :lol:

 

[BigBill1945]

Just like Sherman last year, they won't trade him unless they get what they think he's worth. If they want a 1 or, say a 2 and a 3, or whatever and no one else wants to pay that price he'll be here next year.

I agree. He not only had one achilles repair but two. This changes the game a lot. While the results of these is pretty good for un normal people, the demands of his body may make him a step slower. Many players in the past have had their careers end because of this. Granted they have improved the outcomes since Alan Ameche from the Colts ended his career with same injury. He was a RB. I know this is ancient history for many of you. That aside, the point I am making is that we do not know what these surgeries affect will have on Sherm. I just do not think another team is going to want to risk a high trade round for him at this time. With the surgeries, like it or not, his value has gone down.....at least until he somehow comes back to full form. Sherm will be with us next year IMO.

 

[hawk45]

This defense is going to suck in 2018. I just know it.

If we lose Earl I'm certain of it.

If we have Earl and Sherman is iffy, a lot rides on the Shead, Maxwell pu-pu platter.

Obviously wouldn't help if all of a sudden we found ourselves trying to replace Bennett at the same time either.