How the Kansas City Chiefs could potentially afford Earl Thomas

Let’s not kid ourselves here: Earl Thomas is not in the same position as Tamba Hali or Derrick Johnson was this offseason to the Chiefs. No disrespect intended toward either player here, and we certainly wish Johnson all the best with the Oakland Raiders (that’s weird to type), but Thomas is not being pushed out because he’s become limited in his impact.

This would be a different story if Thomas had hit some wall, since free agency is already littered with numerous players who still believe they have something left with game tape proves otherwise. However Thomas is nearing that inevitable phase and the Seahawks have simply decided to put Thomas on a timeline. Sherman and Chancellor are out in 2018, and barring a trade, Thomas is out one year later. It’s a total makeover of the Legion of Boom.

If Thomas has a couple great or even good seasons left in him, it could be a nice veteran fit in the Chiefs secondary that has several question marks. Consider the following:

• The Chiefs are already counting on a new starting free safety after Ron Parker’s release.
• The competitors for the spot are, as of now, Eric Murray and Armani Watts. Murray didn’t capitalize on last year’s opportunity to seize starter’s reps in the face of Eric Berry’s injury but remains a young competitor in house. Watts is a fourth round rookie being asked to make a significant leap. It’s possible one or both are ready but those are big question marks when the secondary has so many questions at corner as well.
• Even the strong safety position has a question as Berry comes back from another season-ending injury. Putting a versatile All-Pro like Thomas next to Berry could be insurance in a worst-case scenario.
• If everyone is healthy, having a tandem like Thomas and Berry would give the Chiefs the best safety combination in the league.

These are all very important points wrapped up in a single transaction. Consider it like this:

1. The Chiefs defense, as of now, has a fairly low floor. The run defense has been horrible. The pass rush has been lacking. The secondary faces considerable questions. A lot could go wrong in 2018 if some of Brett Veach’s decisions don’t work out. A move for Thomas could raise this floor a few levels by bringing in a player with such impact.
2. The Chiefs defense could have an incredibly high ceiling with so much youth and potential, and adding Thomas and Berry to the back of that defense elevates it to potentially elite.
3. The leadership impact of two point guards in the secondary who are both so talented and versatile would be a defensive coordinator’s dream come true.

So all of this sounds good, but we brought up the finances for good reason.