Tag: Earl Thomas III

Former Ravens S Earl Thomas III reportedly ready to resume NFL career

Former Ravens safety Earl Thomas III is reportedly ready to resume his NFL career

The Baltimore Ravens signed safety Earl Thomas III to a four-year, $55 million deal with $32 guaranteed during the 2019 offseason. He would play one season in Baltimore before being let go right before the start of 2020 due to what the team deemed conduct detrimental to the team.

After two years away from the game, Thomas is reportedly ready to resume his NFL career. Adam Schefter of ESPN tweeted out on Friday that Thomas text saying that he’s ready to make his professional comeback, also relaying that he’s in shape and that he’s proud of that fact.

Thomas was effective when he was on the field for the Ravens, totaling 49 tackles and two interceptions during the 2019 season. However, the box score stats don’t tell the whole story, as he was hardly thrown at over the course of the year.

The veteran will turn 33 years old in May, so there are fair questions as to what he would be on the field at this point. However, his ugly departure from Baltimore that included punching teammate Chuck Clark in practice is another thing that teams will have to weigh, assuming he generates interest in his bid to return to the NFL.

CBS Sports believes DeShon Elliott could be in line for big payday

CBS Sports believes DeShon Elliott could be in line for big payday

The Baltimore Ravens were put in a tough situation when they released veteran safety Earl Thomas III very late in the 2020 offseason. Instead of signing a proven veteran to fill the void, they decided to trust young safety DeShon Elliott to step into his role and perform at a high level, and he did just that.

When listing out one underrated player on each AFC team who could be on the verge of a big payday, Jordan Dajani said that Elliott could cash in with a big year in 2021.

“Elliott replaced Earl Thomas in the secondary for 2020, and CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora even reported that the Ravens’ leadership council backed Elliott and urged Baltimore to cut ties with Thomas. The Texas product missed his rookie season due to a fractured forearm, and played in just six games in 2019. In his first season as a starter, however, he impressed. Elliott recorded 80 combined tackles, 2.5 sacks, four passes defensed and two forced fumbles in 16 games played. He’s entering the final year of his contract, and should really turn some heads if he builds on last season in 2021.”

In his first full year starting at the NFL level, Elliott was impressive while also playing in all 16 games for the team. Perhaps the most impressive thing about Elliott’s 2020 season is that in playing at free safety, he was playing a position that was rather new to him, as he had been primarily known as a strong safety. He seemed to gain more confidence with each game he was out there, and with a full offseason to prepare with a starters mindset while being around his teammates and his coaches, the fourth-year safety could have a true breakout season in a contract year and earn himself a good deal of money.

Ravens announce jersey numbers for 2021 draft class

The Baltimore Ravens selected eight players in the 2021 NFL draft. It was revealed what jersey numbers they’d wear at the pro level

The Baltimore Ravens selected eight players in the 2021 draft. Each of them will be asked to come in and contribute at a high level while also developing their skills.

A big talking point for the newest members of the team was what jersey number each player was going to wear. Rashod Bateman posted a photo on his Instagram of him in a No. 12 jersey, which sparked plenty of conversation. On Wednesday, Baltimore officially announced which numbers the rookies from their draft class would be wearing.

It’s notable that new edge rusher Odafe Oweh will be wearing former Ravens outside linebacker Matthew Judon’s No. 99, while defensive back Brandon Stephens will be donning running back Mark Ingram’s (and cornerback Lardarius Webb’s) old No. 21 jersey. Defensive back Shaun Wade will be wearing No. 29, which was formerly worn by safety Earl Thomas III (and most recently cornerback Tramon Williams).

Baltimore’s 2021 draft class will be expected to play football at an extremely high level moving forward. Now they can look good doing it in their new jerseys.

Touchdown Wire ranks Earl Thomas III as one of the ten best safeties

USA TODAY’s Touchdown Wire released their top 11 safety list. Former Longhorn Earl Thomas III cracked the top ten.

Our colleagues at the Touchdown Wire are as starved for football as the rest of us. As the NFL season gets closer they have started examining the best players at each position. One of those players is former Longhorn safety Earl Thomas. He started his career with the Seahawks helping lead them to their first Super Bowl Championship, now a member of the Baltimore Ravens.

Earl Thomas III has been a mainstay of lists such as these since his days with the Seahawks’ “Legion of Boom,” and with good reason. Thomas is perhaps the prototype at free safety, with sideline-to-sideline ability and the eye skills to match. His first season with the Ravens after a decade in the NFC West did see his play slip a bit, but when you start at such an elite level any slippage still sees you check in as one of the game’s best.

His coverage skills remain elite. Thomas was targeted in the passing game just 14 times last season, allowing just six receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown, to go with his pair of interceptions. He allowed an NFL passer rating of just 47.9, which was the lowest mark surrendered by him since the 2016 season in Seattle. His ability to read the eyes of a quarterback remains elite, as he displayed on this interception of Ryan Fitzpatrick.

It is no surprise to see Thomas near the top at his position, as he has been viewed as one of the best since he joined the league. Over his career Thomas has accumulated 30 career interceptions, 12 forced fumbles to go along with 713 career tackles in his 10 years in the league.