Of the many stories which have circled throughout the NFL offseason, none has dominated the Dallas Cowboys news cycle quite like trade rumors for Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas.
Thomas, who followed Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett into the Dallas locker room following their 2017 match up, has made it very clear that he is looking for a fresh start. Or, at the very least, a new contract with the Seahawks as he holds out of offseason activities.
The Cowboys seemingly have a hole at safety, though many have grown to believe second year player Xavier Woods will fill that hole admirably. Earl Thomas is the best centerfielder in the entire league, and if anyone is worth a new contract you can argue it would be Thomas.
So what would the Cowboys have to do to bring Earl Thomas to Dallas?
Well, it’s very unlikely that any of this will become a reality for the Cowboys at all, but ESPN’s Todd Archer recently proposed a trade offer which could net the Cowboys Earl Thomas.
“Trade offer to Seahawks: 2019 third-round pick, 2020 fourth-round pick
Length and value of extension for Thomas: Five years for $62.5 million
Full guarantee at signing: $25 million
Total guarantee: $31 million” – Todd Archer
Personally, I see no issue with the Cowboys giving up those draft picks to bring in a player of Earl Thomas’ caliber. Where this becomes a question, however, is if the Cowboys should be willing to sign an aging veteran long term.
Typically, good cap management would suggest that they should not, but Thomas fits the mold of a rare breed in the NFL. Free safeties would can play single high and cover the field sideline to sideline don’t come along very often, and when you can add one to your roster, you usually should.
Being able to play cover 1 with Thomas manning the middle of the field would allow any defense to operate at their best ability, as it has in Seattle over the years. The Cowboys seem to have been adding the cornerbacks necessary to build their own “Legion of Boom,” and Earl Thomas could be the final missing piece.
