RESIGN EARL THOMAS!!!

[JMR]

Sure, kinda' goes without saying, no? I'm not foreseeing some hand-holding and rainbows future, although, doesn't the team STILL hold the hammer with Earl? Did he play enough games to get a year of service?

Yes, this season will toll because of the injury. And since he's a vested veteran, he's also entitled to his entire base salary of $8.5M. The team could still tag him, of course, but that's a tough one to envision. So Earl is probably not going to get the same payday he would have had he either re-upped here or not broken his leg and signed elsewhere next year (assuming whatever deal he's in store for is now lesser for the injury), and the team is now looking at a 2020 3rd round comp pick at best as compensation (in addition to not getting his services for the remaining 12 games while still having to pay him for it) for losing him. Pretty much no winner in this situation.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

He gave the team a hometown discount. <shrug> And I never said they were 'entitled' to give him squat. I'm saying the players have zero power in this situation in the NFL.

Where do you get the idea he give a discount? He was under contract when he signed that record breaking contract, so no other team could offer him a contract. Even if they could have, think it highly unlikely to be better then what he got.

 

[BSUSeahawk]

Because he was worth more than he got? I haven't ever heard P+J deny that Earl DID give them a discount on that contract. I believe there's been plenty written about how the guys took less than they could get on the open market in order to keep the band together.

The market is the market. Sometimes it works in your favor, sometimes it doesn't.

Two of the biggest reasons why Seattle's D became what it did was the market on D tackles being soft the year that Seattle signed Avril and Bennett.

Earl could have got more on the open market. He wanted to stay a Seahawk and keep playing with the LOB.

Which is one of the reasons I want fans to cut him some slack now.

Maybe this is a point of disagreement then, but I don't think Earl gave the team any kind of discount. To re-up, he stated that he wanted to be the highest paid safety in football, and the Seahawks obliged. Maybe he could have gotten a longer deal somewhere else, but on an AAV scale, there wasn't any discount.

 

[BSUSeahawk]

Sure it is, if it was LESS than he could've got on the open market.

I see your point, but it's also a bit of risk management on the part of Earl. Which ironically, is sort of the same dilemma that was going on this year. He wanted the security of a new deal, while also being the highest paid safety in the league. He still managed to get both. I'd say that whole situation worked out pretty well for him, all things considered.

 

[chf]

We'll never know if the contract he took was discounted but being paid the record deal for a safety would lean more towards not being discounted.

Only if you figure he lied about it. And the team didn't see the utility in correcting the record.

 

[chf]

I'd say that whole situation worked out pretty well for him, all things considered.

And as I've said, it's not like I'm clutching my rosary, worrying about his future mental health. Yes, Earl is one of the NFL's elite talents, and is paid like it. (by NFL standards)

The reason that we're seeing these L Bell/E Thomas pissing matches, is because those guys have much less power than their star counterparts in the other two major sports. It's arguable, but I'd say hockey stars have it a bit better too.

I imagine the NFLPA and NFL discussions are going to spend a LOT of time on this topic in the future.

 

[chf]

Pretty much no winner in this situation.

Yep.

 

[jerseyhawksfan79]

Only if you figure he lied about it. And the team didn't see the utility in correcting the record.

I'm just going by numbers. If the Hawks offered a contract lower then the highest paid safety at the time and he took it, then yes he took a home town discount. If he says he took a home town discount but was still paid the record deal for his position, then I wonder how much he was looking for. For the record, what he got paid was well deserved and earned and glad he got it. Either way, he goes down as an all time Seahawks great and hope he recovers and ends his career on a high note.

 

[BSUSeahawk]

And as I've said, it's not like I'm clutching my rosary, worrying about his future mental health. Yes, Earl is one of the NFL's elite talents, and is paid like it. (by NFL standards)

The reason that we're seeing these L Bell/E Thomas pissing matches, is because those guys have much less power than their star counterparts in the other two major sports. It's arguable, but I'd say hockey stars have it a bit better too.

I imagine the NFLPA and NFL discussions are going to spend a LOT of time on this topic in the future.

Agreed. Last time it seemed like the NFLPAs big focus was practice time and safety-related issues. I think they're going to take a different approach this time... guaranteed money has to be the number one issue on the table, no question.

 

[chf]

I'm just going by numbers. If the Hawks offered a contract lower then the highest paid safety at the time and he took it, then yes he took a home town discount. If he says he took a home town discount but was still paid the record deal for his position, then I wonder how much he was looking for. For the record, what he got paid was well deserved and earned and glad he got it. Either way, he goes down as an all time Seahawks great and hope he recovers and ends his career on a high note.

The difference would be between what other teams were willing to offer him and what the Seahawks paid him. If he could've got more elsewhere, then he gave a hometown discount.

As for the last sentence, I figure time heals all. Kam was persona-non-grata around here a while back, and he raised the 12 flag.

 

[Anointed One]

As for the last sentence, I figure time heals all. Kam was persona-non-grata around here a while back, and he raised the 12 flag.

Kenny Easley is another example... He's now in the ROH...

 

[chf]

Kenny Easley is another example... He's now in the ROH...

And that one required a LOT of work by the team. Kenny didn't speak to anyone from the Hawks, for... decades.

 

[jerseyhawksfan79]

The difference would be between what other teams were willing to offer him and what the Seahawks paid him. If he could've got more elsewhere, then he gave a hometown discount.

As for the last sentence, I figure time heals all. Kam was persona-non-grata around here a while back, and he raised the 12 flag.

Agreed. Once he's retired, I'm sure ET will be back to raise the flag and head into the RoF and eventually the HoF.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Only if you figure he lied about it. And the team didn't see the utility in correcting the record.

Pie in the sky conjecture by Thomas. He still was under contract for another year when he signed that extension. No NFL team was making him offers when he still had a year to go under contract.

 

[chf]

Pie in the sky conjecture by Thomas. He still was under contract for another year when he signed that extension. No NFL team was making him offers when he still had a year to go under contract.

He was free at the end of that year, or he had another year to go? Either illustrates my larger point. Same as Atlanta renegotiating with Julio. They do it for some stars if they feel it's in their best interest. How do you suppose they MAKE that calculation?

Teams can't OFFER contracts to guys still under contract. But they can and do discuss money. Players sometimes over value what the market is for their services (see Avril, Bennett)

But teams DO sometimes see their gamble on paying over what the home team will pay. Things could change if his health doesn't hold up, but do you think Chicago is happy so far with opening the vault up for Mack?

You don't think Mack had off the record discussions with more than one GM about what their teams would pay him?

To restate: I don't think Earl was laying awake nights worried about whether he'd be in the poor house. But I think the romance was pretty over between he and the Hawks. Seeing Kam have to retire, and Sherman being let go, made him want to sign that last deal of his career right away. If Seattle wasn't going to give it to him, he wanted to go elsewhere.

It's not like he hasn't reacted emotionally to stuff in the past. When he broke his leg last time, he contemplated retirement. I don't doubt for a second that AT THAT MOMENT when he made the tweet, he was serious about it.

Because all the power lies with the team (if he never reported, his year of control would just roll over), he gambled on reporting and playing on the old deal, and he lost.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

He was free at the end of that year, or he had another year to go? Either illustrates my larger point. Same as Atlanta renegotiating with Julio. They do it for some stars if they feel it's in their best interest. How do you suppose they MAKE that calculation?

Yes teams do what makes sense to them. If that means extending a player still a season away from FA they do it and if they feel it doesn't work for the team they don't. Same for players. Neither was doing a favor for the other party, it is just business.

Teams can't OFFER contracts to guys still under contract. But they can and do discuss money.

First off that would be tampering, could happen but nobody is advertising if they do. Strictly hush hush if it goes on and I doubt it happens when a player still has a entire season under contract. Your reaching badly on this point.

Players sometimes over value what the market is for their services

No shit. They almost always over value themselves.

But teams DO sometimes see their gamble on paying over what the home team will pay.

Sure, especially when they way more cap space then the home team. I see the Colts have 127 million in cap space next year for example, pretty sure they could afford to make a offer for a player that many teams couldn't afford to make for example.

Because all the power lies with the team (if he never reported, his year of control would just roll over), he gambled on reporting and playing on the old deal, and he lost.

Bad luck for Earl, but he's getting paid in full for the season and can rehab and sign with another team next year. IDK if I call that losing so much for him as the Seahawks who either still could of traded him or made use of his services. Now they just get the bill and nada.

 

[chf]

First off that would be tampering, could happen but nobody is advertising if they do. Strictly hush hush if it goes on and I doubt it happens when a player still has a entire season under contract. Your reaching badly on this point.

Not sure why you're being condescending at this point. I get the LEGALITY of what tampering is.

My only beef in this thread is people acting like Earl took a dump on their front lawn.

You've admitted that teams do what's in their interests, and players do too.

Which is essentially my point.

All the fainting couch fans will eventually get over their vapours, just like they did with Kam.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Not sure why you're being condescending at this point. I get the LEGALITY of what tampering is.

My only beef in this thread is people acting like Earl took a dump on their front lawn.

You've admitted that teams do what's in their interests, and players do too.

Which is essentially my point.

All the fainting couch fans will eventually get over their vapours, just like they did with Kam.

I guess I feel your only recognizing the negative feelings about Thomas. We do have two threads that were clamoring for the Seahawks to extent Thomas, and over all feel posters have been more pro Thomas then vs verus.
Don't mean to come off condescending, but do feel that you come off as condescending at times to your fellow Seahawks fans referring to them as snowflakes ( fainting couch fans) etc. I do understand that a lot of knee jerk reactions happens on a message board when ever there is a loss or a mistake on the field and it can make you want to roll your eyes. However I think maybe you've become to sensitive to it and don't notice the pro posts or dismiss them as the minority view.
Don't get me wrong chf, I'm a big fan of your posts. Your witty, on point and entertaining as a rule, just think you have gotten off track.

 

[chf]

I guess I feel your only recognizing the negative feelings about Thomas. We do have two threads that were clamoring for the Seahawks to extent Thomas, and over all feel posters have been more pro Thomas then vs verus.
Don't mean to come off condescending, but do feel that you come off as condescending at times to your fellow Seahawks fans referring to them as snowflakes ( fainting couch fans) etc. I do understand that a lot of knee jerk reactions happens on a message board when ever there is a loss or a mistake on the field and it can make you want to roll your eyes. However I think maybe you've become to sensitive to it and don't notice the pro posts or dismiss them as the minority view.
Don't get me wrong chf, I'm a big fan of your posts. Your witty, on point and entertaining as a rule, just think you have gotten off track.

Fair enough. And your criticism is on point. I miss sometimes that I can be guilty of the same things I see others doing. Wasn't meant to be condescending on my part, but I TOTALLY see how it came off that way. I also am often guilty of lumping too many folks in with ambiguous pronouns.

Thanks for the serious reply.

 

[uwdawgfan]

After watching this D,time to open wallet for Earl.