Seahawks Open To Earl Thomas Trade
It’s not necessarily likely to happen, but Seahawks GM John Schneider is not ruling out a trade of safety Earl Thomas. On Monday, Schneider indicated that the phone lines are open in Seattle, meaning that no one is off limits. 
“Earl’s under contract for another season, and if we’re not listening to everybody we are not doing a very good job. So we have to listen to everything that’s going on all the time,” Schneider said (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times).
Thomas says that he wants to stay in Seattle, but the six-time Pro Bowler is entering the final year of his four-year $40MM deal and the Seahawks could garner tons of draft capital by trading him. Reportedly, the Seahawks are seeking a first round pick and a third rounder for Thomas and they could potentially get even more than that.
The Cowboys are reportedly one of the teams that have shown interest in trading for Thomas, but you can expect a number of clubs to inquire on acquiring the elite safety.
Brice Butler To Meet With Four Teams
Brice Butler‘s market is starting to heat up. In the next two weeks, the Cowboys free agent wide receiver Brice Butler will visit with the Seahawks, Bears, Jaguars, and Cardinals (Twitter link via Jane Slater of NFL.com). 
The 28-year-old has been vocal about wanting the opportunity to do more in 2018. Last year, Butler finished out with just 15 catches for 317 yards and three touchdowns. After the season, he opined that he could have outperformed teammate Dez Bryant if he had the same number of targets.
“100 percent,” said Butler. “Because I’m ready. It’s my time, I’ve been there for three years. I feel like me and Dak [Prescott] have a really good relationship. We work on routes. There’s times that we might not have completed a square-out throw in practice, and we’re taking that time out in practice to actually work on it. So I think that’s why when you saw us in the game, he tried to come to me, and most of the times we produced.“
Bryant underwhelmed for Dallas last year, but still had 69 receptions for 838 yards and six TDs. For now, Bryant remains part of the Cowboys’ plan with Butler likely moving on following the addition of Allen Hurns.
“With Dallas, the situation has to be right for me to go back,” Butler said earlier this year. “I have to be a starter. If I’m not starting, I’m not going back,” Butler said.
Wherever Butler lands, he’ll be in for a pay raise. Butler earned just $1.1MM on a one year deal in 2017.
Contract Details: Richardson, Fluker, Pats
Some details on recent free agent deals:
- Sheldon Richardson, DT (Vikings): One year, $7MM deal. $7.8MM guaranteed ($5.8MM base + $2MM signing bonus). $200K workout bonus. Incentives up to $3MM, but categorized as Not Likely To Be Earned (NLBTE) for cap purposes (Twitter link via Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune).
- D.J. Fluker, OL (Seahawks): One year, $1.5MM deal. $300K guaranteed. Cap charge of $1.37MM (Twitter link via Brady Henderson of ESPN.com).
- Marquis Flowers, LB (Patriots): One year, $2.55MM deal. $1.05MM base salary. $200K signing bonus. Up to $400K in roster bonuses plus $50K workout bonus. Incentives package: $100K for playing 30% of the defensive snaps, $300K for 40%, $550K for 50%, and $800K for 60% (In 2017, Flowers played 26 percent of the defensive snaps) (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com).
Seahawks To Sign DT Shamar Stephen
The Seahawks continue to add depth to their defensive line, signing free-agent defensive tackle Shamar Stephen to a one-year deal, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Stephen becomes the second former Vikings defensive lineman to sign with the Seahawks in as many days, with Tom Johnson agreeing to a deal with Seattle on Friday.
The Seahawks confirmed the signing Saturday afternoon. 
Peliserro also noted (on Twitter) that Stephen sustained a meniscus injury in the postseason and has already undergone surgery this offseason. But he’s expected to be ready for OTAs and the Vikings had also wanted to re-sign him.
Stephen, 27, appeared in 15 games last year, making one start and collected a sack after starting all 16 games for the Vikings in 2016. The Vikings took Stephen in the seventh round of the 2014 draft. Stephen took a visit with the Seahawks earlier this week and had also taken a visit with the Lions. Minnesota signed former Seahawks defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson earlier this month.
Along with Johnson, Stephen is set to join a group of Seattle interior defensive linemen that includes Jarran Reed, Nazair Jones, and Garrison Smith. The Seahawks also have Malik McDowell at defensive tackle after the 2017 second-round pick spent his rookie year on the Non-Football Injury List. McDowell’s status for 2018 still remains in question, though.
Earl Thomas Affirms Committment To Seahawks
Seahawks safety Earl Thomas clarified some comments made Friday on an Ireland radio show in which he said it’s a “guessing game” as to whether he would be back in Seattle in 2018.
In a lengthy Twitter post, Thomas firmly stated his intentions of remaining with the Seahawks for the foreseeable future.
“Hold on everyone. Let’s not get it confused. I want to be a Seahawk,” Thomas said. “I want my jersey retired in the ring of honor with the other greats that came before me. I love being in Seattle. The winning culture we established I want to be apart of it for life!!”
Thomas, 28, went on to note how his family has embedded itself and enjoys the Seattle community. He also didn’t want his comments regarding the ambiguous nature of his future to be confused with him not wanting to remain in Seattle, and rather it was just being honest and confident in himself to be successful wherever he lands.
While the six-time Pro Bowler said he wishes to remain in Seattle, it may not be up to him. The team has reportedly been shopping Thomas around in trade talks this offseason, with his contract set to expire after next season. The Cowboys were one of the team’s to reportedly have shown interest in trading for Thomas.
Even if Thomas were to return, the Seahawks secondary will have a different look next season with the departure of Richard Sherman to the 49ers. Seattle also cut Jeremy Lane and Byron Maxwell remains unsigned as an unrestricted free agent.
Earl Thomas Unsure Of Future With Seahawks
While appearing on the Ireland sports talk show “Off The Ball” Seahawks safety Earl Thomas didn’t sound overly confident in his status with the Seahawks for the upcoming season.
Thomas, a three-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler, is set to enter the final season of his four-year, $40MM deal with Seattle. The Seahawks have reportedly shopped Thomas around in trade talks, with the Cowboys believed to be one of the teams interested in trading for the Texas native.
The Seahawks are reportedly seeking first- and third-round picks for Thomas’ services. He didn’t miss a game through the first six years of his career but has missed seven games over the last two seasons due to various injuries. The Seahawks’ “Legion of Boom” has seen a shakeup this offseason, with the departure of Richard Sherman to the 49ers. Fellow cornerback Byron Maxwell is an unrestricted free agent this offseason as well.
Seahawks To Sign DT Tom Johnson
The Seahawks have agreed to sign defensive tackle Tom Johnson to a one-year deal worth up to $2.7MM, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Seattle witnessed the Vikings poach interior defender Sheldon Richardson last week, and now the Seahawks have done the same to Minnesota by signing Johnson. Of course, the 32-year-old Johnson isn’t the caliber of player that is Richardson, but he’ll give Seattle depth along its defensive line as the club enters something of a mini-rebuild.
Johnson is coming off a four-year run with the Vikings during which he played at least 40% of the team’s defensive snaps in each campaign. In 2017, Johnson saw a career-high 68% playtime, and posted 17 tackles and two sacks during that time. Pro Football Focus graded him as roughly a league-average defensive tackle, as Johnson ranked 60th among 122 qualifying interior defenders.
The Seahawks, who have also met with Vikings free agent Shamar Stephen, will add Johnson to a defensive tackle group that also includes Jarran Reed, Nazair Jones, Garrison Smith, and — depending on his health — 2017 second-round pick Malik McDowell.
Browns/Seahawks C.J. Smith Trade Cancelled
C.J. Smith won’t be going to the Seahawks after all. Seattle acquired the cornerback in a trade earlier this week, but that swap has been nullified, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
Smith failed a physical upon arriving in Seattle, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. The trade saw only a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft going to Cleveland, so it’s not a major loss for the Browns.
Smith, 25 in May, spent most of the year on the Browns’ practice squad. Towards the end of the year, he earned a promotion to the varsity squad and was on the roster for the final three regular season games.
The Seahawks were in need of some depth at cornerback after releasing Richard Sherman and Jeremy Lane, prompting the Smith trade. The cancelled deal may push the Seahawks to re-sign Byron Maxwell, who is still a free agent.
Seahawks Re-Sign DE Marcus Smith
The Seahawks have re-signed defensive end Marcus Smith, as Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. It’s a one-year deal worth up to $2.7MM. 
Smith flamed out as a former first-round pick of the Eagles and was waived last summer. He signed on with the Seahawks and played a bit in a reserve role. In 252 snaps, Smith had 14 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
Exact terms of the deal are not yet known, but it stands to reason that the deal comes with a low base salary and little in the way of guarantees. There are incentives in place, however, that can provide Smith with a solid pay day if he performs. He’d also be in position to make more money next March if he can make some noise.
Seahawks Re-Sign RB Mike Davis
Mike Davis has agreed to a one-year deal to stay with the Seahawks, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He took visits elsewhere, but ultimately decided to stay in Seattle where he showed some promise last year. 
Davis’ visits during the free agency period included the Lions and Rams. For now, Seattle offers him the easiest path to the field.
Davis went from Seattle’s practice squad to the varsity squad in November when C.J. Prosise landed on IR. He had some solid games down the stretch. In December against the Jaguars, he ran for 66 yards off of 15 carries, good for a 4.4 yards per carry average. Then, in the season finale against the Cardinals, he had 48 yards off of ten carries. All in all, he appeared in six games (all starts) and finished with 240 rushing yards on 68 carries. He also added another 15 receptions for 131 yards.
The Seahawks also have Chris Carson, J.D. McKissic, and C.J. Prosise under contract for 2018. You can expect Seattle to continue exploring upgrades in free agency and the draft.