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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."
Rumors have swirled regarding the situation between the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who is entering his fifth NFL season and is slated to earn $14.124 million on a team-executed fifth-year option. Despite the 49ers publicly declaring a desire to sign Aiyuk to a contract extension, keeping him on the roster for the foreseeable future, many rumors have focused on potential trade interest.
On Monday, general manager John Lynch held his annual pre-draft press conference, addressing the Aiyuk situation without revealing any information on the conversations that have taken place behind closed doors. Once again, he emphasized that the 49ers want Aiyuk to remain with the team for the remainder of his career.
When asked if there was a chance Aiyuk
With the 2024 NFL Draft just eight days away, the San Francisco 49ers are in the final stages of evaluating draft prospects. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the 49ers are currently hosting USC safety Calen Bullock on a pre-draft visit.
USC @uscfootball safety Calen Bullock visiting #49ers today. Previously All-Pac-12 safety Calen Bullock (4.48 speed, 6-2, 188, nine career interceptions) visited
Steph Sanchez and MLFootball report that the San Francisco 49ers hosted former Georgia safety Javon Bullard on a pre-draft visit yesterday.
🚨EXCLUSIVE: Georgia star safety Javon Bullard had a TOP-30 visit with the San Francisco #49ers yesterday, sources tell @_MLFootball & @Steph49K. Bullard, 21-years-old is a very good athlete and is great in coverage.
ESPN insider Adam Schefter recently shared his insights on the situation surrounding San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk during an appearance on the network's "NFL Live" show. Schefter clarified that while Aiyuk would like to remain with the 49ers, his priority is securing a contract that reflects his value, regardless of the team.
When questioned about Aiyuk's desire to stay with the team that selected him in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Schefter responded, "Well, I think his desire to get paid is greater than his desire to stay in San Francisco, wherever that is. If the 49ers want to pay him, I'm sure he'd love to stay in San Francisco. If another team would like to pay him, I'm sure he'd like to go
