Report: Cleveland Browns will not be signing Earl Thomas
By Dan Justik
The Cleveland Browns were reportedly pursuing free agent safety Earl Thomas, but they will not be signing the former Seattle Seahawk.
The Cleveland Browns will not be signing free agent safety Earl Thomas, according to a report from NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
The Browns were reportedly pursuing the 29-year-old after trading for wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., but Garafolo said the Browns and Thomas were not working toward a deal Tuesday night.
Cleveland is now in the market for a safety after trading Jabrill Peppers as part of the package to the New York Giants for Beckham.
I can now add to this the above will not happen. Earl Thomas will not be signing with the #Browns, source says. We wait to see where he will sign but it won’t be in Cleveland.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 13, 2019
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On Tuesday night, it was reported the Browns were “feeling good” about their chances of signing Thomas to a deal. However, there was little talk Wednesday about the two sides working on a deal to bring the safety to Cleveland.
Thomas is arguably the top remaining free agent and the best safety available. He is reportedly looking for a multi-year deal that will pay him at least $14 million per season. A potential deal with that money would make him one of the highest paid safeties in the league.
The safety played in only four games for the Seattle Seahawks last season after suffering a broken leg during Seattle’s Week 4 game. In those four games, Thomas made 22 total tackles, three interceptions, and five passes defended.
Although he was not able to show it last season, Thomas remains one of the best safeties in the NFL. In 2017, he made 88 total tackles, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble, two interceptions, and seven passes defended.
With Thomas not coming to Cleveland, the Browns are going to have to look elsewhere to find a replacement for Peppers. Currently, the Browns two starting safeties are Damarious Randall and Derrick Kindred.
Next. What are the biggest remaining needs for Browns?. dark
Other than Thomas, some of the notable free agent safeties that are still available are Haha Clinton-Dix, Clayton Geathers, Tre Boston, and Andrew Sendejo.