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seahawksfan234
Radical Moderate
There probably is already a thread regarding this specific topic, but I didn't see it on the first page.
I think this is a very pertinent topic for the Seahawks right now. I see it like this, the Seahawks have 3 options.
Option 1: Trade him before the draft. The Seahawks desperately need draft picks, and this could be a prudent move as Earl Thomas is going to be 29 in the 2018 season. From what I've heard is that the Seahawks are asking for a first round pick at minimum, which I think is fair.
Option 2: Give him a contract extension. Now this option is a bit more complicated. Given his age, the contract may substantially overpay him when he starts to go into decline. It's difficult to determine what Earl's longevity is given that he relies substantially on his athleticism. The best comparison I can make is Ed Reed. This is clearly a very lofty comparison, but both players have extremely similar skill sets. Reed managed to continue playing at a high level until 34. That is obviously a very high threshold to match, but if the Seahawks are confident that Thomas can continue playing at a high level for at least 3 more years, a front loaded contract extension could be prudent. Also worth noting with the Reed comparison that Reed didn't start playing in the NFL until 24, whereas Earl started at 21.
Option 3: Do nothing, let him play in 2018 and hope to re-sign him in the offseason. This is the riskiest and least desirable option IMO. If the Seahawks don't plan on re-signing him now, I don't think it'll be any easier in the 2019 offseason. If we do this, we essentially piss away a 2018 1st or 2nd round draft pick if Earl doesn't re-sign.
I'm personally somewhat split between option 1 and option 2. It's also worth noting that we will soon have to deal with the contracts of Bobby Wagner and Frank Clark who both are substantially younger and pose a much lower risk to re-sign. Not to mention the fact that Russell Wilson is going to likely receive a monster contract extension from the Seahawks at some point. All that being considered, there's a possibility that trading Earl now might be the best option. I'd put the over/under on him performing at a Pro-Bowl level at 3 years and he'll likely be looking at a 5 year contract extension or so.
I think this is a very pertinent topic for the Seahawks right now. I see it like this, the Seahawks have 3 options.
Option 1: Trade him before the draft. The Seahawks desperately need draft picks, and this could be a prudent move as Earl Thomas is going to be 29 in the 2018 season. From what I've heard is that the Seahawks are asking for a first round pick at minimum, which I think is fair.
Option 2: Give him a contract extension. Now this option is a bit more complicated. Given his age, the contract may substantially overpay him when he starts to go into decline. It's difficult to determine what Earl's longevity is given that he relies substantially on his athleticism. The best comparison I can make is Ed Reed. This is clearly a very lofty comparison, but both players have extremely similar skill sets. Reed managed to continue playing at a high level until 34. That is obviously a very high threshold to match, but if the Seahawks are confident that Thomas can continue playing at a high level for at least 3 more years, a front loaded contract extension could be prudent. Also worth noting with the Reed comparison that Reed didn't start playing in the NFL until 24, whereas Earl started at 21.
Option 3: Do nothing, let him play in 2018 and hope to re-sign him in the offseason. This is the riskiest and least desirable option IMO. If the Seahawks don't plan on re-signing him now, I don't think it'll be any easier in the 2019 offseason. If we do this, we essentially piss away a 2018 1st or 2nd round draft pick if Earl doesn't re-sign.
I'm personally somewhat split between option 1 and option 2. It's also worth noting that we will soon have to deal with the contracts of Bobby Wagner and Frank Clark who both are substantially younger and pose a much lower risk to re-sign. Not to mention the fact that Russell Wilson is going to likely receive a monster contract extension from the Seahawks at some point. All that being considered, there's a possibility that trading Earl now might be the best option. I'd put the over/under on him performing at a Pro-Bowl level at 3 years and he'll likely be looking at a 5 year contract extension or so.