Free agent TE rumors...for Seahawks

[kearly]

Thomas is criminally underrated by NFL fans.

I wouldn't go that far. But he's definitely under-rated on these boards. I probably watched 25+ Broncos games the last two years, and I don't think this is a case of a guy being made to look good by Manning. Thomas is a mismatch maker and very consistent in the red zone.

Regarding the soft label. Chris Mathews is a soft player. And Seattle played him quite a bit in the SB, with good results. The Hawks don't need every single player to be a dirtbag. If anyone thinks Julius Thomas is too soft for Seattle, I'll tell them this: Seattle tried to trade for Thomas last Fall. PC/JS are guided by a certain set of values, but they are not rigid.

Also, whenever I see a soft player I always wonder how much of that is from coaching and locker room atmosphere.

 

[Hawk-Lock]

Here's my main problem with Julius Thomas. Who ever signs him, is going to overpay him. I can almost guarantee you his best seasons are behind him, at least from a statistical standpoint. He played on one of the most prolific offenses in the history of the NFL. Just based on the numbers he put up the last two years with Peyton, he is going to get paid....most likely overpaid.

I question his run blocking, I heard he isn't much of a run blocker. However, there is no doubt he is a mismatch every time he lines up, and you can keep him in the formation, or split him out wide. I'd love JT on this team and think he'd be a great fit, but I wouldn't give him anything absurd like 9-11 mill a year. He probably will get that contract because Jimmy Graham and Gronk are the only TE's making 9 mill or more a year. I'd pay him as a 2nd-tier TE like a Greg Olsen/Vernon Davis, in the 7mill range.

 

[pehawk]

Thomas is criminally underrated by NFL fans.

Maybe, but Hawks look for dudes who love to play ball. Thomas doesn't love to play ball. Jimmy Graham would have more street cred in the Hawks lockerroom.

 

[kearly]

Here's my main problem with Julius Thomas. Who ever signs him, is going to overpay him. I can almost guarantee you his best seasons are behind him, at least from a statistical standpoint. He played on one of the most prolific offenses in the history of the NFL. Just based on the numbers he put up the last two years with Peyton, he is going to get paid....most likely overpaid.

He obviously would see a huge drop in receptions here, but that doesn't mean his performance would drop. I think his ability to create TDs in the redzone will translate to any offense. And right now Seattle needs something to threaten with in the redzone besides Lynch.

If he didn't fit something Seattle needed, Seattle wouldn't have tried to trade for him last year.

 

[Hawk-Lock]

Here's my main problem with Julius Thomas. Who ever signs him, is going to overpay him. I can almost guarantee you his best seasons are behind him, at least from a statistical standpoint. He played on one of the most prolific offenses in the history of the NFL. Just based on the numbers he put up the last two years with Peyton, he is going to get paid....most likely overpaid.

He obviously would see a huge drop in receptions here, but that doesn't mean his performance would drop. I think his ability to create TDs in the redzone will translate to any offense. And right now Seattle needs something to threaten with in the redzone besides Lynch.

If he didn't fit something Seattle needed, Seattle wouldn't have tried to trade for him last year.

I agree. He'd be a huge asset for RW in the red-zone. Russ has never had a true red-zone threat. D-Coordinator's fear anytime Gronk/Graham/Julius split out wide and are isolated on a corner/safety/lb,

 

[Hawks46]

Thomas is criminally underrated by NFL fans.

I wouldn't go that far. But he's definitely under-rated on these boards. I probably watched 25+ Broncos games the last two years, and I don't think this is a case of a guy being made to look good by Manning. Thomas is a mismatch maker and very consistent in the red zone.

Regarding the soft label. Chris Mathews is a soft player. And Seattle played him quite a bit in the SB, with good results. The Hawks don't need every single player to be a dirtbag. If anyone thinks Julius Thomas is too soft for Seattle, I'll tell them this: Seattle tried to trade for Thomas last Fall. PC/JS are guided by a certain set of values, but they are not rigid.

Also, whenever I see a soft player I always wonder how much of that is from coaching and locker room atmosphere.

He doesn't have the be the hardest guy on the offense, but he does actually have to try to run block in our system. The word on Thomas (and backed up by some film) is that he doesn't want to get hurt, plays like he doesn't want to get hurt, doesn't play at all if he's just a little bit hurt, and damn near refuses to run block (unless someone can show me tape of him run blocking with enthusiasm. I haven't seen it).

I'm with Pehawk on this one. Unless that "butthurt" Denver beat writer actually made crap up, he has quotes from players that Thomas doesn't really have passion for the game and doesn't even like football that much, won't play if he's nicked up, and is basically out for the biggest pay day he can get.

I'm hoping that last part keeps our FO away from him. A lesser talented but more motivated player will blow a more talented but lesser driven player right off of a football field. You have to have the "want to" to stick your head in there and get the crap beat out of you.

 

[theENGLISHseahawk]

Thomas is criminally underrated by NFL fans.

Maybe, but Hawks look for dudes who love to play ball. Thomas doesn't love to play ball. Jimmy Graham would have more street cred in the Hawks lockerroom.

So why did they try to trade for him then?

I don't see this attitude in Thomas at all. He might not be as intense as Earl Thomas but he's not the other end of the scale either.

 

[pehawk]

Thomas is criminally underrated by NFL fans.

Maybe, but Hawks look for dudes who love to play ball. Thomas doesn't love to play ball. Jimmy Graham would have more street cred in the Hawks lockerroom.

So why did they try to trade for him then?

I don't see this attitude in Thomas at all. He might not be as intense as Earl Thomas but he's not the other end of the scale either.

Because he was cheap then and they thought they could get one over on Elway. Oh, and unload that one guy while getting a need.

He held himself out of games at "90%", his words.

 

[drdiags]

I say bring him in, and he probably will get paid. The Seahawks paid Miller well when he first came here from Oakland. I think the team is better off bringing him in vs Jordan Cameron . I think they shoot for Thomas and fall back onto Jordan if Thomas is too rich for their liking.

If they are about to pay Wilson, they need to give him some talent at the skill position. They paid top dollar to bring back Lynch, they most likely are going to pay good money on a TE. The pipe dream that is Suh is out the door but hopefully Wilson and Wagner get done during this off-season.

My ideal TE is Zach Miller but in the offenses of today, if you cannot get Gronk or a young Whitten, you go with the Thomas, Graham types. If Willson was just a little more adept, he could be that big threat but he is more the mid-level talent he was drafted as. I can live with him and Thomas if I were King.

A blocking TE would be nice depth to get in the draft. Bring on Thomas, warts and all.

 

[HawkRiderFan]

Any fear that Thomas's numbers could be the result of playing with Manning in a pass happy system and might have an inflated value?

 

[SoulfishHawk]

I trust Pete and company to make the right choice, they know a hell of a lot more than any of us. Not every move works, that's how it goes. But more often than not, this team has a real solid eye for talent. Along with the ability to find guys that fit into THEIR system.

 

[MizzouHawkGal]

Would love to see a Thomas-Moeaki TE Duo.

I think that's what they may go for. I wonder if they would go for Andre Johnson also? Just imagine having Johnson and Thomas there would be a mismatch somewhere to exploit with those two.

Any fear that Thomas's numbers could be the result of playing with Manning in a pass happy system and might have an inflated value?

No he is a true mismatch kind of player. I would say he would be more effective with the Seahawks given they like the wheel/seam/deeper routes anyway.

 

[QuahHawk]

I will be P&J'd if we get J Thomas for under 8 mil a year. We need a weapon like him.

Lynch Wilson & Thomas make us a very dangerous offense.

Heavy run formations with Thomas and Willson. We are a threat deep, we are a threat to pound Lynch at you, and if you forget about Wilson he will run on you.

It would force teams to leave our Wr one on one on the outside all the time.

 

[Hawkfan77]

Thomas is criminally underrated by NFL fans.

Maybe, but Hawks look for dudes who love to play ball. Thomas doesn't love to play ball. Jimmy Graham would have more street cred in the Hawks lockerroom.

So why did they try to trade for him then?

I don't see this attitude in Thomas at all. He might not be as intense as Earl Thomas but he's not the other end of the scale either.

Because he was cheap then and they thought they could get one over on Elway. Oh, and unload that one guy while getting a need.

He held himself out of games at "90%", his words.

Ya I read that quote and it's not really specific to what was being referred to. Was he 90% of being fully 100%? Or was he 90% of being able to play?

I will freak out in a very good way if we can get Thomas. Having a player like him will transform our offense. He'd be such a ridiculously great addition.

 

[Hawkfan77]

Think about an opposing defense having to worry about the threat of Lynch, the threat of Russell taking off and running and now adding the threat of Thomas running a seam route? That's an absolute nightmare for them and would be incredible for us.

 

[scutterhawk]

Well, no matter what they do, plenty of people will complain about it :mrgreen:

Yep.^
Pete needs to ask for advise from the "Experts" around here before every Off-Season move that he's making, hell,,, we'd probably make it to a Super Bowl, if he'd just take their advise, eh? :lol:

 

[cacksman]

Any fear that Thomas's numbers could be the result of playing with Manning in a pass happy system and might have an inflated value?

Take a look at Peyton's stats once JT got hurt in week 10. Maybe that's also the exact week Peyton got hurt, but it's a pretty big coincidence that as soon as Thomas gets hurt, Manning's stats drop off a cliff. A steep cliff.

 

[Hawk-Lock]

Think about an opposing defense having to worry about the threat of Lynch, the threat of Russell taking off and running and now adding the threat of Thomas running a seam route? That's an absolute nightmare for them and would be incredible for us.

I just had to comment on this....your post reminded me so much of when we got Percy.

Every Seahawk fan....."Can you imagine how much defenses will have to worry about Lynch, Russ throwing or scrambling, and then Harvin on the outside!"

But yes, i agree, Lynch, Wilson + JT would be pretty lethal. Ideally we would like to get a WR on the outside to open things up even more.

 

[Basis4day]

Think about an opposing defense having to worry about the threat of Lynch, the threat of Russell taking off and running and now adding the threat of Thomas running a seam route? That's an absolute nightmare for them and would be incredible for us.

I just had to comment on this....your post reminded me so much of when we got Percy.

Every Seahawk fan....."Can you imagine how much defenses will have to worry about Lynch, Russ throwing or scrambling, and then Harvin on the outside!"

But yes, i agree, Lynch, Wilson + JT would be pretty lethal. Ideally we would like to get a WR on the outside to open things up even more.

Stole my response.

 

[Hyak]

An athletic TE like Thomas or Cameron to a lesser extent would fill a similar void as a big WR would. 3 WR or 2 TE with a hybrid type of TE is not terribly different, especially in the red zone if your plan is to split the TE out wide.

Not mentioned in this thread but I would also like to see the Seahawks re-sign Moeaki, who should be affordable. Good dual threat receiver/blocker who has upside. Right now, the blocking aspect of TE is not great.