The rumors about a potential Earl Thomas to the Dallas Cowboys trade have been circling for what seems like forever at this point. And they won't go away either, not until the Seattle Seahawks sign him to a long-term deal or the trade actually happens.
It seems that as each day passes, and we inch closer to training camp, the rumors will grow stronger and stronger as each team waits to see if the other will blink in the trade negotiations.
The fact remains that the Dallas Cowboys are in a strong position at the negotiating table.
I've been living in East Africa for the better part of the last five years and here pretty much everything is negotiable. One thing I've learned is that you have to be willing to walk away to get the price you want to pay.
The Dallas Cowboys are in a position, with Xavier Woods and more importantly with Kris Richard, where they can walk away from the table in order to get the price they want.
Let me go on record by stating that they should absolutely add Earl Thomas, even if it costs a second round pick in 2019 and $12 million per year over the next three to four years. With the cap expected to increase around 10% each year over the next several years, it's likely that those increases would cover his salary.
As much as the team and Cowboys Nation like Xavier Woods, Earl Thomas would be an upgrade at safety and, at the moment at least, is the missing piece to a secondary that doesn't really have someone who can play the deep middle like Earl can.
Wouldn't you rather have Woods playing next to Thomas in the secondary?
I know I would.
Earl Thomas is an All-Pro player and on a defense that has finally found its pass rush and some really exciting players in the linebacking and defensive back groups, the time is now to make a splash on the defensive side of the ball.
All that said, the Dallas Cowboys have time to wait, thanks to Kris Richard.
With the addition of Kris Richard as the defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator, the front office has the ability to be much more patient than they might in any other circumstance with any other player.
Earl Thomas has been coached by Kris Richard every season since 2010, when Thomas came into the league. Richard was the assistant defensive backs coach in 2010, was promoted to defensive backs coach in 2011, and was then the defensive coordinator for the Seahawks for the last three seasons prior to coming to Dallas.
The familiarity Thomas has with Richard allows the Cowboys to be patient in trade negotiations, because they know that if a trade happens, Earl will be able to plug right into the free safety role without missing a beat. Even if it happens during the regular season.
For someone like Earl Thomas, who has played for Richard his whole career, he doesn't know anything other than the way Richard wants a secondary to play football.
When Kris Richard was hired by the Dallas Cowboys, he brought with him the concepts and terminology that helped make “The Legion of Boom” one of the best defenses in the NFL over the last decade.
Thomas speaks Richard's language and no matter when it happens — whether today, tomorrow, during training camp, or during the regular season — the All-Pro safety will be able to step right in and make a difference.
Now, there's always a learning curve when you're playing with new teammates, but that will go much faster since they'll be speaking the same language from day one.
With Kris Richard around, and their affinity for Xavier Woods, the Dallas Cowboys have the ability to wait out the Seattle Seahawks. And for a businessman such as Jerry Jones, that's a profitable position to be in.
