It's easy now to believe that Earl Thomas was destined to sign with the Baltimore Ravens this offseason. After Eric Weddle left the team on Monday by agreeing to terms with the Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore had a gaping hole in the secondary, one that's long been filled by star safeties the likes of Weddle, Ed Reed, and Rod Woodson. Were the Ravens really going to approach the 2019 season without a culture-setter in the defensive backfield?
Their subsequent signing of Thomas, of course, suggests that was never a possibility. As the six-time Pro Bowler told reporters on Friday at his introductory press conference, though, he was prepared to play next season elsewhere until Baltimore came calling “last minute.”
Earl Thomas on whether the Ravens were on his free-agent radar: "It was last minute. I thought I was going somewhere else. I'm very appreciative for the opportunity."
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) March 15, 2019
Thomas signed a four-year, $55 million deal with the Ravens on Wednesday. The Texas native had previously been linked to the Dallas Cowboys dating back to last summer, when he held out of training camp in hopes of convincing the Seattle Seahawks to sign him to a long-term contract. The Cowboys' interest in Thomas this offseason, though, was always a matter of debate among league insiders, with the majority assuming the team would rather spend its available cap space on players other than Thomas.
After breaking his leg in a Week 4 game against the Arizona Cardinals last season, Thomas directed an obscene gesture toward his team’s sideline while being carted off the field, ostensibly in response to him suffering a season-ending injury after the Seahawks refused to re-negotiate his contract. He made the Pro Bowl each of his healthy seasons in Seattle with the exception of his rookie campaign.
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