Speculation swirls around Earl Thomas to Cowboys

By Stefan Stevenson

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Safety Earl Thomas remains a holdout in Seattle, and the speculation that he’ll eventually join the Dallas Cowboys continues to be a topic of speculation.

Since Thomas was heard telling Jason Garrett to “come get me” after a game in December, the topic has been a constant source of debate. The All-Pro and former Texas Longhorn star would seem to be a perfect fit on the Cowboys’ defense. At least that’s how two NFL Network analysts see it.

Former Colts’ receiver Reggie Wayne thinks Thomas, 29, still has plenty of good NFL seasons in him.

“He’s not a young kid running out there, but he’s still one of the elite safeties remaining (available),” Wayne said. “His winning mentality, his wisdom, his leadership on a defense, it is awesome. When you talk about a quarterback on defense, that’s Earl Thomas. He’s like an Ed Reed, Troy Polamalu. If he was a free agent, he wouldn’t be looking for a job, there would be a bunch of teams trying to sign him.”

Former center Shaun O’Hara agreed that Thomas would give the Cowboys a defensive leader.

“This (would) definitely add that veteran aspect to this defense, and it’s really what they’ve been looking for. I think this could be big for them,” he said.

But O’Hara isn’t sure the Seahawks are willing to let Thomas, who is one of the last members of Seattle’s Legion of Boom defense still around, go without getting something big in return. “It will have to be something very intriguing for (Seattle general manager) Josh Schneider to want to pull the trigger on that.”