Julius Thomas rumors...

[Rat]

He has insane ability, so I wouldn't be against it, but factoring in that he's a Peyton product and doesn't block makes me a little hesitant to give him big money.

It'd be interesting to see how he'd be used. Certainly not a Zach Miller replacement. More of an upgraded Luke Willson.

 

[bjornanderson21]

No way it happens. What's the point of signing a huge contract for a receiving threat if you always need to keep him in to block because the OL is inept? Use the money on a WR if you need a pass catcher.

True.

The hawks need to fix the OL before wasting money on a playmaker who wont be allowed to make plays.

 

[pehawk]

I don't buy this at all.

 

[cacksman]

As much as I would like him here, I have a feeling he lands in Oakland. They have a ton of money they can throw at him, and growing up just outside Oakland helps as well.

Agreed.. I can see the Raiders giving Thomas the same type of deal Jimmy Graham got

Interesting how the Raiders are linked to pretty much every big name free agent. Julius Thomas also went to college at Portland State. If he values championships, Seattle would have the much bigger edge and wouldn't have to pay as much as Oakland. And I don't buy that he would just stay in Denver if he valued winning. It would be impossible to convince someone Denver has a better shot of winning in the near future than Seattle does.

 

[cacksman]

Can he also block? Cause that's what we need the TE to do.

No, he can't... and that is why Denver fans got so frustrated with him.

No way he becomes a Seahawk imo.

Same was said about Cliff Avril defending the run before he signed here. Funny how JS repeatedly says he looks for special qualities in a player and that Pete will find a way to put them in situations to succeed, and yet fans are always looking for the perfect, well rounded prospect.

Julius Thomas is an elite pass catching tight end, and I wouldn't be surprised one bit to see him flying up to Seattle for a visit.

 

[Hawkfan77]

He would come here and be Anthony McCoy (faster, obvs). We all want a big, pass catching TE but we just don't really do that around here. The money would be better spent elsewhere. My opinion.

Do we not "do that around here" or have we not done that around here because we've never had a player like that? I think we signed Miller because Pete wanted that 2 TE set like NE ran. The hope was to pair Miller with Carlson, but Carlson got hurt. Then they signed Winslow to play that move TE role but we all know he wasn't up to it. With Willson we've seen flashes of what an athletic TE with speed can do in the offense.

It's all about creating a mismatch for this team.

 

[Hawks46]

Can he also block? Cause that's what we need the TE to do.

No, he can't... and that is why Denver fans got so frustrated with him.

No way he becomes a Seahawk imo.

It's not that he can't (he's not great) but he doesn't even want to. This guy doesn't really love football and plays to not get hurt. Someone already posted a snippet of the article I read about Thomas being soft and not willing to play through injury.

I guy that doesn't love football and isn't willing to give 100% won't fit on this team. I wouldn't mind spending 4-5 mil/year on this kind of talent with that lack of desire, but Thomas wants to get paid as much as possible, then get out of football. From the reports, in his mind, this is his last big contract. He's going to maximize it and his guaranteed money.

Just watch; it won't be the biggest contract, it will be the most guaranteed money this guy goes for. No thanks.

 

[Hawkfan77]

"Julius is here to get his money and get out," one teammate told me last week. "That's just how some guys are. He didn't grow up playing this game and it's just not in his DNA to put it all out there." When asked if Julius Thomas was soft like some say, he said, " where there's smoke, there's fire." According to the teammate, Julius Thomas was healthy enough to play multiple times last season but refused to. In one instance Julius Thomas was heard saying, "I'm about 90% – I'm getting close."


Doesn't sound like a guy that Always Competes.....he turned down $8m per year from Denver last year too....he wants to get paid.

Ah the infamous "unnamed" player quote...

 

[Chawks1]

"Julius is here to get his money and get out," one teammate told me last week. "That's just how some guys are. He didn't grow up playing this game and it's just not in his DNA to put it all out there." When asked if Julius Thomas was soft like some say, he said, " where there's smoke, there's fire." According to the teammate, Julius Thomas was healthy enough to play multiple times last season but refused to. In one instance Julius Thomas was heard saying, "I'm about 90% – I'm getting close."


Doesn't sound like a guy that Always Competes.....he turned down $8m per year from Denver last year too....he wants to get paid.

Ah the infamous "unnamed" player quote...

I

This is a rumor thread right?

 

[HawkFan72]

I'm not going to even take the time to dream about this one. Some team is going to throw a lot of money at him and it won't be the Seahawks. The best chance the Hawks had to get him was to trade for him.

 

[lukerguy]

Here's the thing, I'd like a top TE as much as the next guy, but I'm not sure Thomas is. You have to look at players in relationship to their system.

Look at Emmanuel Sanders- 740 yards 6 TDs with Pittsburgh....1400 9 TDs with Denver

Conversely, look at Eric Decker 1288 11 TDs with Denver, 900 5 TDs with NYJ.

Would we even know who Thomas was if he didn't play on that Manning offense?

 

[bbsplitter]

He would come here and be Anthony McCoy (faster, obvs). We all want a big, pass catching TE but we just don't really do that around here. The money would be better spent elsewhere. My opinion.

I completely agree. Until we have proven that we have a solid o-line that can actually pass block semi-reliable, what is the point of having a pass-catching TE. He's never going to be able to be released from the line cuz they are afraid Wilson will get killed, or its a run play and he is blocking anyways. I think we roll with Miller for another year.

 

[cacksman]

"Julius is here to get his money and get out," one teammate told me last week. "That's just how some guys are. He didn't grow up playing this game and it's just not in his DNA to put it all out there." When asked if Julius Thomas was soft like some say, he said, " where there's smoke, there's fire." According to the teammate, Julius Thomas was healthy enough to play multiple times last season but refused to. In one instance Julius Thomas was heard saying, "I'm about 90% – I'm getting close."


Doesn't sound like a guy that Always Competes.....he turned down $8m per year from Denver last year too....he wants to get paid.

Ah the infamous "unnamed" player quote...

A lot of speculation and things that don't really mean anything in that quote.

Many in the NFL didn't grow up playing it, tight ends mostly, doesn't mean a thing.

90% could mean he's 10% away from being healthy enough to play, not that's he's 90% healthy.

 

[cacksman]

Here's the thing, I'd like a top TE as much as the next guy, but I'm not sure Thomas is. You have to look at players in relationship to their system.

Look at Emmanuel Sanders- 740 yards 6 TDs with Pittsburgh....1400 9 TDs with Denver

Conversely, look at Eric Decker 1288 11 TDs with Denver, 900 5 TDs with NYJ.

Would we even know who Thomas was if he didn't play on that Manning offense?

The same could also be said the other way around for Peyton and Thomas.

Peyton finished with 39 TDs and 15 INTs on the season. In the last 7 weeks (when Thomas was injured), Peyton threw for 10 TDs and 8 INTs, and a completion percentage of about 7 points lower.

But I'm sure it's all a coincidence.

 

[Pandion Haliaetus]

As much as I would like him here, I have a feeling he lands in Oakland. They have a ton of money they can throw at him, and growing up just outside Oakland helps as well.

Agreed.. I can see the Raiders giving Thomas the same type of deal Jimmy Graham got

Interesting how the Raiders are linked to pretty much every big name free agent. Julius Thomas also went to college at Portland State. If he values championships, Seattle would have the much bigger edge and wouldn't have to pay as much as Oakland. And I don't buy that he would just stay in Denver if he valued winning. It would be impossible to convince someone Denver has a better shot of winning in the near future than Seattle does.

Avril is a poor comparison.

Lions left him on an island in that Wide9 pass rush role. They didnt have the LBer speed Seahawks have nor the secondary speed.

First thing Quinn did was switch weakside-strongside responsibilities as well as high-low responsibilities.

Meaning Avril played next to the 2 gap DT and was guarded by above average run defenders in Wags, Wright, Kam, and Sherman.

In Detroit, he was on an island, ofcourse he would do poorly if he was chipped by a TE, take on a FB, and while asked to fight through an OT or a pulling OG.

I dont think you can mask JTs weakness as a blocking TE. Seahawks dont have that type of O-line.

Nor do I think you can coach up JTs ability to block at this point. You can make him adequate but I dont think you can leave him 1 on 1 with a DE.

I rather trade for Marshall and keep Miller for about the same price.

 

[cacksman]

He would come here and be Anthony McCoy (faster, obvs). We all want a big, pass catching TE but we just don't really do that around here. The money would be better spent elsewhere. My opinion.

I completely agree. Until we have proven that we have a solid o-line that can actually pass block semi-reliable, what is the point of having a pass-catching TE. He's never going to be able to be released from the line cuz they are afraid Wilson will get killed, or its a run play and he is blocking anyways. I think we roll with Miller for another year.

How often does Thomas line up as an in-line TE?

I'm curious if anyone knows because I couldn't find the info online. I'd assume he lines up in the slot or out wide at least 50% of the time. I remember this time last year the media kept interviewing Thomas on Jimmy Graham's WR/TE contract situation because they were very similar players.

People assume Thomas as a typical tight end like Gronk or Zach Miller and he's just not. When you can split him out wide the majority of the time, it makes the blocking aspect less important.

ETA: I just watched these highlights on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lPHWG7cBY4 and it looks like 3/4 of his TDs came from him lined out wide. Even higher than I would have expected.

 

[DJrmb]

Yeah Julius Thomas scares me a bit with some of the things that have been said about him and his heart not being in it. As well as the Manning effect. Peyton has a tenancy to make average players look a lot better than they really are or good players look great. I would be leery of signing any player that had most of their production (or their highest production) under Peyton Manning, without proving they can put up similar numbers with another QB.

 

[TwistedHusky]

Holy crap we do NOT want him.

And yes, I know we are desperate for a TE that will actually catch the ball consistently AND stay healthy.

But we also need our TEs to block.

Go back and watch the GIF from that Broncos/Colts game where the Bronco RB is fighting for yards, scratching and clawing for a first down and then you see the WRs and TEs not even bothering to block or in some instances running away from blocks.

One of those GIFs had JT doing a few half *ss Ole jobs.

He looks and plays like a paycheck player. He would not last long here at all. Maybe a good fit for the Jets, not even sure Oakland would really want him if they knew what they were really getting.

 

[cacksman]

Regarding the thought that Thomas turned down $8m a year from Denver, so he obviously is going to want $9+, according to a Denver fan on Reddit(I'm not going to hunt down the link because this guy has no reason to lie seeing as how his team probably won't have Thomas anymore), there's an interview from Thomas' dad saying that Denver offered no guarantees in his contract, which is the main reason he turned it down.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

It's funny how as soon as your team becomes really good all of a sudden every single free agent is rumored to be going there.

Agents man.