Seahawks, Chargers Eyeing Caleb Sturgis
Free agent kicker Caleb Sturgis met with the Seahawks on Thursday and will take a visit with the Chargers on Friday, according to Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Los Angeles is certainly in need of a new kicker this offseason, as the club deployed four different kickers in 2017 without much success. The Chargers have already met with former Raiders K Sebastian Janikowski, so they’re looking at all available options. Seattle, meanwhile, signed Jason Myers — who has a 36 games worth of experience — to a futures deal earlier this year, but Sturgis could represent an upgrade.
Sturgis, for his part, barely played last season, as he suffered a hip injury in Week 1 of the Eagles’ season. Jake Elliott experienced success as Sturgis’ replacement in Philadelphia, so a reunion between the Eagles and Sturgis doesn’t seem possible. Sturgis, 28, owns a career field goal percentage of 81.0 over parts of five NFL campaigns.
Cowboys Interested In Earl Thomas
The Seahawks have at least one suitor for Earl Thomas. CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets that the Cowboys are among the teams with interest in the veteran safety. Of course, the reporter adds that Dallas is “hardly alone” in their pursuit.
It sounds like the Cowboys would be the safety’s preferred landing spot. He connected himself to Dallas following a Seahawks’ win over Dallas, telling Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett to “come get me.” Thomas was also born in Orange, Texas and played at the University of Texas. Back in January, Thomas had threatened a holdout after pushing for a longterm deal. The safety signed a four-year $40 MM deal in 2014, which is set to expire after the 2018 season.
We learned earlier today that the Seahawks were seeking a first-round pick and a third-round pick in exchange for Thomas. Thomas, who will turn 29 in May, has earned six Pro Bowl selections in his eight seasons with Seattle. The safety had another solid campaign in 2017, compiling 56 tackles and two interceptions in 14 games (14 starts).
Seahawks Discussing Earl Thomas Trade; Seeking 1st, 3rd Round Picks
The Seahawks are in discussions with several teams regarding safety Earl Thomas, according to CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora (on Twitter). They are seeking a first-round pick and a third-round pick in exchange for the three-time First Team All-Pro safety, but La Canfora says they may get even more for him in a trade.
We learned last night that the Seahawks had requested a first-round pick in exchange for the defensive back. The Seahawks have already made several changes to their secondary, including releasing both Richard Sherman and DeShawn Shead, and it sounds like moving on from their safety isn’t out of the picture. Thomas, who turns 29 in May, has earned six Pro Bowl selection in his eight seasons in Seattle, and has been a critical figure in the team’s “Legion of Boom” secondary.
The Seahawks are seemingly interested in moving on from Thomas, and the feeling is apparently mutual. He connected himself to the Cowboys after the Seahawks’ December win in Dallas, telling Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett to “come get me.” Thomas was born in Orange, Texas and played at the University of Texas before Seattle selected him with the No. 14 pick in 2010.
In January, Thomas threatened a holdout by saying he doesn’t envision himself rejoining Seattle without a longterm deal. The safety signed a four-year $40 MM deal in 2014, which is set to expire after the 2018 season. The safety had another productive campaign in 2017, compiling 56 tackles and two interceptions in 14 games (14 starts).
Tank Carradine To Visit Seahawks
Defensive lineman Tank Carradine is visiting with the Raiders, but Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee says the free agent has a backup plan if he doesn’t sign. Barrows reports (via Twitter) that Carradine has a visit scheduled with the Seahawks “if necessary.”
We learned earlier today that the former 49ers defensive end had a meeting scheduled with the Raiders. The 2013 second-round pick had been relatively underwhelming during his San Francisco tenure, and he also missed half of the 2017 season. He ultimately started seven of his eight games last year, compiling 19 tackles and 1.5 sacks. His production would have placed him among Pro Football Focus’ top 50 edge defenders if he had enough snaps to qualify.
The Seahawks are a bit crowded at defensive end, and the team is currently projected to start Cliff Avril and Frank Clark. However, along with Branden Jackson and Quinton Jefferson (and others), the 29-year-old Carradine would certainly provide Seattle with some insurance at the position.
Extra Points: Seahawks, Nelson, Browns
The Raiders are in the mix to sign Jordy Nelson, but it’s not a done deal just yet. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) cautions not to count out the Seahawks in the Nelson chase, given John Schneider‘s history with the wide receiver.
In 2008, the Packers traded back with the Jets in the second round in order to select Nelson. Schneider was a big reason for that deal as he advocated for Nelson in the war room. Now, Schneider is at the helm in Seattle with a very real chance at signing the veteran.
The Saints, reportedly, are also pushing to sign Nelson.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- Browns GM John Dorsey said he released cornerback Jason McCourty because he wasn’t sure he’d make the roster and, given his veteran status, wanted to give him a chance to catch on with another team (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon). McCourty had a solid bounce back year with the Browns, so it’s surprising to hear that Dorsey wasn’t sure if McCourty would quality for the 53-man roster. In any event, he figures to have a ripe market.
- Meanwhile, Browns coach Hue Jackson confirmed that Tyrod Taylor is the Browns starting quarterback for 2018. “He’s going to be the starting quarterback. There is no competition,” Jackson said (Twitter link via NFL.com’s James Palmer). The Browns hold the No. 1 and No. 4 overall picks in this year’s draft and one of those selections will almost certainly be used on a QB. Whoever that rookie is, apparently, will be learning from the bench at the outset.
- The Raiders were a close second for Johnathan Joseph before he agreed to re-sign with the Texans, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). Joseph re-upped with Houston on Thursday with a two-year deal.
- The Eagles and Giants are showing interest in Bears free agent punter Pat O’Donnell, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Lions, Seahawks Interested In Quinton Dial
Packers free agent defensive tackle Quinton Dial will visit the Lions and Seahawks, according to Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel (on Twitter). Dial, as Silverstein notes, was a positive locker room presence in Green Bay after coming over from the 49ers. 
It’s not clear if the Packers are still in the mix to keep Dial, but they think highly of him. When signing him last year, the Packers paid him one dollar more than the veteran’s minimum ($775,001), which left open the possibility of extending him in-season. They didn’t do that, however, allowing him to explore the open market.
Dial, 28 in July, appeared in 13 games with two starts for the Packers last season. He totaled 19 tackles.
Seahawks, Saints Still Pushing To Sign Jordy Nelson
Jordy Nelson is not headed to Oakland just yet. The Raiders still have competition from the Saints and Seahawks.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) Nelson-to-Oakland is not a done deal yet, adding the Saints represent “real competition” for the 32-year-old wide receiver’s services. The Seahawks are also not out of the mix yet.
Nelson is still in Oakland, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported earlier Thursday the expectation is this Raiders agreement still gets done. But two NFC teams aren’t conceding yet.
The Saints and Seahawks have scheduled visits with Nelson, but the Raiders are still in pole position here having secured the first meeting and reports of the further summits on the verge of being cancelled. This race also could decide Michael Crabtree‘s fate. The Raiders are likely to cut the three-year Silver and Black starter if they land Nelson, and that would put a younger wideout on the market.
Seattle, which lost Paul Richardson to Washington, is also pursuing Terrelle Pryor. The Saints, who have Michael Thomas under a rookie contract for up to two more seasons, have Ted Ginn signed to a veteran deal but tendered Willie Snead at the lowest level. They did not tender RFA Brandon Coleman.
Price Range Emerges For Sheldon Richardson?
As the Vikings bring Sheldon Richardson in for a visit on Thursday, a price range may be forming.
Richardson may be eyeing a deal in the $11-$15MM-per-year range, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.
While Garafolo was quoted as saying during an NFL Network appearance (Twitter link) that the Seahawks have offered Richardson $11MM per year, they have not made any proposals just yet.
A $15MM deal would place him toward the top of that position’s salary spectrum. Five defenders — Fletcher Cox, Kawann Short, Marcell Dareus, Gerald McCoy and Jurrell Casey — earn more than $15MM annually. Four other 4-3 defensive tackles earn at least $11MM AAV.
Considering Richardson’s status as a top-tier free agent, he appears set to try and place himself on that top tier. The former defensive rookie of the year has been a 3-4 defensive end for most of his career, but the 27-year-old talent — who has encountered legal trouble — at his best is one of the top interior defenders in the game.
Seahawks To Meet With D.J. Fluker
Offensive lineman D.J. Fluker is visiting with the Seahawks, a source tells Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Raanan adds that there could be more stops coming up for the former first-round pick. 
Fluker spent last season with the Giants after signing a one-year deal. The former Chargers first-round pick did not show a dramatic improvement from the work that induced the Bolts to backtrack on his fifth-year option and cut the Alabama product last year. Pro Football Focus tabbed the 27-year-old blocker as its No. 56 full-time guard.
The Giants, though, experienced rampant injury trouble on their front and Fluker joined Justin Pugh and Weston Richburg in finishing the season on IR. Previously, he had played in at least 15 games in three of his four San Diego seasons.
Seattle again boasted one of the league’s worst lines last season, continuing a troublesome trend. Fluker would likely again profile as a low-cost addition, although recent years have brought a seller’s market at these positions.
Seahawks, Rams Interested In Terrelle Pryor
The Browns have company in their pursuit to bring Terrelle Pryor back to Ohio. Both the Rams and Seahawks are also now interested in the free agent wide receiver’s services, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports.
Seattle lost Paul Richardson to Washington, which signed Pryor last offseason, and Los Angeles saw Sammy Watkins sign with Kansas City on a whopping contract. Pryor did not perform as well as either last year but was the Browns’ top receiver in 2016.
The Browns remain in the mix, Cabot reports, but are now battling some more competitive pursuers. Pryor caught just 20 passes for 240 yards last season, proving to be an ill-fitting piece in Jay Gruden’s offense. He finished the season on IR.
Cleveland, though, tried to reacquire the Ohio State product midway through his disappointing season but could not. The Browns have been the team most linked to Pryor this offseason.