Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas will be looking to become the highest-paid safety in the NFL when he hits the free agency market on March 13. Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that he is looking for a deal that will top the $13 million annual salary of Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry.
The annual value of his last contract with the Seahawks was $10 million.
Thomas' agent, David Mulugheta, met with the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, per the report. Thomas, 26, grew up a Cowboys fan, is living in the Austin area, and has enrolled his children in that school district.
Thomas' contract expectations might be bad news for Dallas, who has many of its own stars to secure. That includes quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott, who are each signed through the upcoming season. The team also made a contract offer this week to defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence with the hopes of working out a deal before the March 5 deadline to use the franchise tag.
Despite having an estimated $49.4 million in salary cap space, Thomas' price might be too high for the Cowboys to manage. Meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers are expected to have nearly $70 million in salary cap space.
"Per a source, Thomas is open to signing with any team, and he has no interest in giving the Cowboys a home discount," reports Hill.
That might be good news for the 49ers, who have long been expected to make a run at Thomas this offseason. Of course, it also could be bad news because of the amount of money it might take to acquire the veteran safety.
The Seahawks made Thomas, who played college football at Texas, the No. 14 overall selection in 2010. He registered 22 combined tackles, five passes defensed, and three interceptions through four starts with the Seahawks in 2018. His season was cut short due to a fractured leg, which forced him to miss the final 12 games of the season.
Thomas has recorded 664 combined tackles, 68 passes defensed, 28 interceptions, two touchdowns, and 10 forced fumbles through his nine NFL seasons.
Cornerback Richard Sherman said this week that he expects the 49ers to be player in recruiting Thomas.
"If finances make sense, then I'd say we're a major player in it if everything aligns the right way," Sherman said.
Thomas' former Seahawks teammate went on to warn that if the Cowboys make the best offer or can match the best offer, he expects Thomas to go to Dallas.
"Now if Dallas is a player in it, I'm not going to lie, he's going to go Dallas," Sherman added. "That's his home. If the money is equal, if all things are equal, he's going to Dallas."