Earl Thomas is in a unique spot this year, learning an entirely new defense in the late stages of his career. Baltimore's defense has proven to be much more complex than what Thomas played in during his time in Seattle.
Thomas hasn't shied away from the fact that it will take some time to become fully comfortable in the new scheme. The Seahawks' defense was notoriously simple with a base zone defense that rarely changed much for those on the back end.
That isn't the case with the Ravens.
Article Continues Below“This defense is very complex compared to what we were doing in Seattle,” Thomas said, via ESPN.com. “We were just running Cover 3 all the time. But now, we’re making calls on the fly. That’s the biggest part. That’s the biggest adjustment for me. But, just being around these guys, that brings it all in. They’re helping me. That’s what brothers do.”
While Thomas may not be a big fan of the process, he believes the work will pay dividends “because we’re going to make it very hard on quarterbacks” come the fall. That’s exactly why the Ravens signed Thomas.
One of the league's best when healthy, Thomas excels playing as a single-high safety, covering sideline to sideline, closing on receivers to break up passes or pick them off.
His 28 interceptions are the third-most in the league since he came into the NFL in 2010, even though he has missed 19 games the past three years. He was the second-highest-graded safety in the NFL last season by Pro Football Focus before he sustained a broken left leg on Sept. 30.