Will the Seahawks trade Earl Thomas to the Cowboys?

The Earl Thomas trade rumors keep cooling off and heating up. There’s new life to the long-rumored Seahawks – Cowboys trade. How worried should 12s be?

I really wish Earl Thomas had never stepped into the Cowboys locker room after the Seahawks big win last December. The sports media in general is certainly happy, though. That visit and the words “come get me” have certainly generated hundreds of stories, millions of clicks, and all the cash that goes with that.

And it’s generated one more, as you’re reading this. My apologies. The latest rumors seem to have been generated in large part by an interview on Dallas radio 105.3’s Shan and RJ Show with writer Bryan Broaddus, a former Cowboys scout. You can read a more complete recap here from the Dallas News. One of the quotes that’s making its way all over the Interwebs is “I feel like that the Earl Thomas situation still is in play”. But I’d like to focus on another quote from Broaddus:

"I don’t believe Earl Thomas is going to sit out games for Seattle. I really, really don’t. You’re talking about a guy that makes over $10 million. Players just don’t leave those checks on the field just for principal, for that reason. I think that Seattle is going to have to figure out something. The Cowboys are going to have to figure out something. And maybe they do work something out there."

Seattle Seahawks

So Broaddus says that “Players don’t just leave those checks on the field…” I agree, they typically don’t. Kam Chancellor held out for all of two weeks back in 2015. Eventually he got his extension. The Seahawks blinked first. But they seem much less likely to blink first this time around. Unless the Cowboys give the Seahawks what they’ve reportedly been seeking, a first round pick or a second plus extra, there’s no reason for Seattle to move first. Granted, they don’t have a better replacement than Thomas ready. But Thomas has no replacement for that paycheck.

It makes more sense for the Seahawks to stay right where they’re at. If that means all of training camp, so be it. Once the season starts and Thomas starts missing those game checks, things could change quickly. And as soon as a top team loses a safety to injury, the price for Thomas goes right back up. I’d much rather see Seattle give him his extension, but I don’t agree that they have to figure something out. Seems to me they already have.