Earl Thomas, believe it or not, is making quite a first impression on the Baltimore Ravens. On Thursday, Ravens coach John Harbaugh told reporters how his team's new starting safety has acquitted himself during OTAs.
“He’s had a great week,” he said of Thomas, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN. “Great anticipation and great ability to cover ground. He shows up in the right spots on a regular basis. That’s what great safeties do. He’s done a great job.”
Thomas signed a four-year, $55 million deal with the Ravens in March. The nine-year veteran, who had previously spent the entirety of his career with the Seattle Seahawks, missed most of last season after suffering a broken leg in Week 4. While being carted off the field, Thomas flipped his middle finger at the Seahawks’ sideline, an act of defiance in response to his longtime team refusing to meet his contractual demands last offseason.
Thomas replaces Eric Weddle, who was cut, as the veteran leader of Baltimore's secondary. A six-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro, he's been one of the most consistently effective defenders in football for the vast majority of his nine-year career. Though there were some concerns during the early free-agency process about his ability to recover from last year's season-ending injury, the 30-year-old is clearly acquitting himself well in the early portion of offseason training, key for a Baltimore defense in the midst of major change.
The Ravens went 10-6 last season, losing to the Los Angeles Chargers in the divisional round of the playoffs, an especially encouraging result considering rookie signal-caller Lamar Jackson only took over as the team's starting quarterback in Week 9.
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