Could Tedric Thompson Become Cap Casualty for Seahawks?
Heading into the 2019 season, third-year pro Tedric Thompson was slated to take over at the free safety position as a replacement for Earl Thomas, who left to sign with the Ravens in free agency.
However, the 25-year old safety managed to start just six games, as he battled through a shoulder injury during the first half of the campaign and struggled with consistency.
During his injury-riddled season, the former fourth-round pick out of Colorado produced 19 total tackles, nine solo tackles, two pass deflections, and two interceptions, including a highlight-reel worthy pick against the Rams in Week 5.
Following Seattle’s 27-20 victory over Atlanta in Week 8, coach Pete Carroll announced that Thompson would require season-ending shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum. As a result, rookie safety Marquise Blair made his third career start during Seattle’s 40-34 overtime victory against Tampa Bay in Week 9.
After a midseason trade brought veteran safety Quandre Diggs to the Pacific Northwest, the Seahawks don’t have a clear need for Thompson next season. He's also scheduled to earn a significant raise from his 2019 salary of just over $800K, making his situation a more tenuous one moving forward.
Entering the 2020 season, Thompson will earn $2.3 million during the final year of his rookie contract, according to overthecap.com. By cutting him before June 1, the Seahawks could save over $2.1 million. If completed, Seattle's available cap room would increase from an estimated $50.7 million to nearly $53 million.
As for Seattle's depth at the position, Diggs will enter the new season as the undisputed starter at free safety and Bradley McDougald will remain entrenched as the starter at strong safety. Blair, along with Lano Hill, will serve a backup role behind both players and continue seeing significant snaps on special teams.
While on paper this move would make a lot of sense, especially from a financial standpoint, it would still be a tough decision to make for Carroll, Schneider, and the rest of Seattle’s front office.
Based on Carroll’s comments to the media back on October 30, he likely wouldn’t be the only person in the organization saddened by the decision to part ways with Thompson this offseason.
“We’re going to miss him. He’s been an integral part of our stuff,” Carroll commented. “A really good teammate. We love the guy and we hate that he’s not going to get to play.”
Despite Thompson's 2020 salary and his recent procedure, his leadership made a big impact on Seattle's young secondary. While the 6-foot safety had his struggles last season, after being mentored by Thomas, he was reliable providing advice and support for players like Blair and cornerback Tre Flowers.
However, with Blair ready for an increased role in 2020, Thompson's days in Seattle are likely numbered. Since the Seahawks will likely let him enter free agency after next season anyway, it would probably be wise to cut ties this offseason and allocate additional cap space towards free agency to improve the roster.
