Seahawks add veteran depth to the secondary (via @RapSheet): http://t.co/P1nW0h3Hsx pic.twitter.com/MQoNGsQKw8
— NFL (@nfl) July 28, 2014
Thomas is an interesting case. He’s 6-0 with length, he worked with Pete Carroll at USC and in many ways a move to Seattle seemed inevitable. Eventually, he get gets here.
Back-to-back ACL injuries in 2011 and 2012 threatened to end his career, but the 29-year-old bounced back with a solid campaign last year. Now he gets the opportunity to compete in Seattle. He faces a battle.
The Seahawks are rich at corner as we know. Just a few days ago Earl Thomas compared Tharold Simon to Richard Sherman.
If Thomas is going to predominantly act as a nickel corner, he surely has to win the job outright. There really isn’t room for a veteran backup nickel corner (see: Antoine Winfield). And even then, I sense they want their nickel to have the ability to play outside.
Can Thomas do that?
I think he has experience both inside and outside – he’s coming in as a slot corner because that is where we need competition.
All he has to do is beat out Phillip Adams, Akeem Auguste and AJ Jefferson. Its not going to be as difficult as you make it out to be.
What about lane? He’s supposed to be the one to beat out at nickel and he’s fast with decent to good reach and instincts
Also we added OT Eric Winston today. Looks to be an awesome and exhilarating camp battles everywhere.
Lane is the current front-runner for the nickel/slot corner but Thomas will provide competition. Having veteran competition in camp seems to elevate the level of play of the young guys competing for bigger roles. Remember how signing Winfield elevated the nickle corner competition last year? I can see the same thing playing out with this signing.