Getty Free agent safety Earl Thomas.
No one in Philadelphia honestly thinks the Eagles will sign Earl Thomas. It’s a different story in Las Vegas, though.
The Eagles are hovering at +700 in the sportsbooks, per SportsLine, to land the three-time All-Pro safety’s services. They actually have the fourth-best odds behind the Cowboys (+150), 49ers (+300) and Patriots (+500). It’s a fun theory to debate as contract negotiations (maybe?) heat up between Dallas and Thomas. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport got into a spat on Tuesday with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones after he reported the team wasn’t expected to make an offer to Thomas.
Meanwhile, Thomas has gone on record in previous years pledging his allegiance to the blue star. He’s a Texas native who told former Cowboys coach Jason Garrett to “come get me” when he was feuding with the front office in Seattle in 2017.
“I’ve always been a Cowboys fan growing up,” Thomas said in 2017, via NFL.com. “The biggest thing when I said ‘come get me,’ I didn’t literally mean, ‘come get me now.’ I’m still in the prime of my career, I still want to be here. But when Seattle kicks me to the curb, please, the Cowboys, come get me. You know? This is the place where I want to be when they kick me to the curb. So that’s what I meant by. People take me too serious. That’s just who I am.”
Should the Eagles make a run at Thomas? It would be a fun ending to a crazy story 10 years in the making. Remember, the Eagles were in line to draft Thomas in 2010 but traded up and took Brandon Graham instead.
However, it’s unclear what kind of salary the 31-year-old would want after earning $10 million in Baltimore. That seems way too high for a player in decline, although it would sure be tempting to block Dallas from getting him.
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Eagles Feeling Content with Rodney McLeod, Jalen Mills
Yes, Malcolm Jenkins went on to (literally) greener pastures in New Orleans but don’t think for a second the Eagles backend is worse off. They might be better, at least that’s the trumpet that Philly players are blaring.
Jalen Mills has taken over Jenkins’ role at strong safety, with Rodney McLeod reprising his role at free safety. The two have made the secondary room their own, including being able to communicate the defensive signals effectively to the cornerbacks and linebackers. It’s been a seamless transition, according to teammates.
“Mills and them boys, man, they been doing great with communication,” cornerback Darius Slay said. “Them guys took me under their wing and set the standard. They got a high standard, I love it. They push us to be the best, got high expectations for us and we just love to ball.”
Some have questioned — mostly those outside the Eagles’ bubble — how the group would look without Jenkins. He was the undisputed defensive leader, a guy who patrolled the Eagles’ secondary for six seasons. Mills and McLeod have both talked about taking on that role and rising to the challenge.
Within every opportunity lies success. Never let an opportunity pass you by.
“I’m excited for this upcoming season, to step into this new role and fill those shoes and lead this team to the promised land,” McLeod said. “When another leader leaves, that calls on other guys to step up to the plate and become leaders and earn that respect as well. I’m excited to see who it is, we’ll need a few of those guys this year if we want to get to our goal.”
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