Raiders owner Mark Davis is no stranger to making bold moves. From the future move to Las Vegas, signing Jon Gruden to a 10-year $100 million contract, to fan favorite Greg Papa being shown the door, Davis has had few issues doing what he wants.
Could his next bold move be acquiring an All-Pro safety for the revamped Raiders defense?
Newy Scruggs of NBC Sports Radio in Dallas is reporting that current but disgruntled Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas has expressed interest in joining the Raiders. Thomas was a no-show for Seattle’s mandatory minicamp back in June and looks to make his point clear by skipping training camp unless a deal is in place.
https://twitter.com/newyscruggs/status/1021804795642957826
The cash-strapped Raiders are in a tight situation financially and with a Mack deal (hopefully) in the near future, pieces would undoubtedly have to be moved to acquire and financially fit the talents of Thomas.
The always boisterous Bruce Irvin has chimed in too and shared his thoughts via Twitter about his former teammate but noted the importance of getting Mack back in the building.
Rather pay Mack than get earl😩🤷ðŸ½â€â™‚ï¸ earl my dawg though lol
— Bruce Irvin (@BIrvin_WVU11) July 24, 2018
Back in 2014, Thomas inked a 4-year extension worth $40 million and that made him the highest paid safety. Fast forward to now and Thomas would be the fourth highest paid at his position entering this season. In order to make the jump back to the top, Thomas would need to surpass Eric Berry of the Chiefs whose annual average salary is $13 million as of 2017.
If Thomas elects to skip out the entire season, his contract would roll over to next season and on top of that his pocketbook would take a hit with subsequent fines and missed game checks. Also to the detriment of Thomas’ situation is that once this final year is played out, Seattle could use the franchise tag on him after.
However, Thomas is holding his ground and wants a trade or a new deal.
Raider Nation, what would you give up to acquire Earl Thomas? Or should the Raiders not even entertain this potential trade?