The Seattle Seahawks are moving on from former starting safety Tedric Thompson, per ESPN’s Josina Anderson. The Seahawks previously announced they were allowing Thompson to seek a trade, but the team clearly did not find a team willing to give up anything in a deal.
“I’m told #Seahawks will release S Tedric Thompson, who missed part of last season with a torn labrum, in a salary cap move. Thompson is now healthy, per source,” Anderson reported on Twitter.
Thompson began last season as a starting safety but became expendable after the Seahawks traded for Quandre Diggs. Thompson played six games prior to sustaining a season-ending injury.
The Seahawks Save More Than $2 Million in Cap Space by Releasing Thompson
The move will allow the Seahawks to save more than $2 million in cap space and have some fans wondering if this indicates the team is close to a deal with Jadeveon Clowney. The Seahawks making the move now offers little clarity on Clowney’s future but it does give the team a bit more financial flexibility to add a pass rusher.
“It could be a precursor to signing a pass rusher. But it’s also possible that they exhausted all trade avenues and just decided it was time to move on,” Sports Illustrated’s Corbin Smith noted on Twitter.
Early in free agency, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Seahawks were allowing Thompson to seek a trade. The writing was on the wall that Thompson would likely be released if the safety did not find a suitor.
“Seattle #Seahawks starting free safety Tedric Thompson has been given permission to seek a trade, source said. Would likely be for a late-round draft pick,” Rapoport reported on Twitter.
The News Tribune’s Gregg Bell called the release of Thompson as “no surprise.”
“This is no surprise. Clears $2.13M in cap space for 2020. #Seahawks former 4th-round pick lost his job replacing Earl Thomas in October when they traded for Quandre Diggs,” Bell tweeted.
The Seahawks did make a move earlier this offseason to improve their secondary. Seattle acquired cornerback Quinton Dunbar to help solidify their starting cornerback on the opposite side of the field as Shaquill Griffin.
The Seahawks May Make Additional Roster Cuts
There are additional roster cuts the Seahawks could make as Heavy discussed earlier this offseason. One player to monitor is starting center Justin Britt as he continues to rehab from a season-ending injury. The Seahawks signed four new offensive linemen, but Britt still projects to be the team’s center.
The challenge is Britt will be a $11.4 million cap hit if the Seahawks hold onto the center entering the final year of his contract, per Spotrac. The Seahawks could look to restructure Britt’s contract rather than release him outright.
Seattle has had a busy offseason but has not fully addressed their pass rush. The Seahawks’ roster moves give them a bit more flexibility to potentially sign Clowney or add multiple pass rushers.
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Seahawks Reveal Final Decision on Former Defensive Starter