The NFL Draft starts tomorrow for all 32 NFL teams and the Seahawks currently have eight picks and are scheduled to select number 18 overall. Seattle has had one of the wildest off-seasons under the Pete Carroll and John Schneider era, losing Richard Sherman to free-agency and trading Michael Bennett to the Philadelphia Eagles. There's also uncertainty that Kam Chancellor and Cliff Avril will still be on the roster in the fall, but the biggest bombshell that could drop is a trade involving Earl Thomas.
Former Seahawks Coach and former NFL General Manager, Mike Holmgren, joined The Ian Furness Show today and said he could envision a Thomas trade if a long-term extension does not come to fruition.
"The Seahawks have to be pretty sure that (Thomas) will sign a newer deal for a longer term contract. If they even think it’s a one and done deal – then all the sudden the idea of moving him and getting picks this year makes more sense. If he’s only going to be a one year player for them next year, play out his contract, and then leave, I would seriously consider a trade. We all know he’s a great player, but he’s not all that old. You want to keep your best players and they have let a lot of really good players (walk) out the door for a variety of reasons. This one is big, but he is the one guy that can get you picks.”
Holmgren added that a trade before the draft can be difficult due to the volatility of the draft market.
"You can take an educated guess, but the Seahawks won't know (what the market will look like) until tomorrow. The longer it goes – and one of things that (Schneider) talks about is he’s going to be with us. If you even hinted or the word got out at all that you’re looking, they’re not going to make the trade. You would lose the value of the trade… I think they’ve done their due diligence in trying to figure out if there’s anyone really interested, and just right off the top it’s not a stretch to say that the Cowboys would be interested. Are they willing to part with enough to get him? Factor in, do the Seahawks believe they can hold on to (Thomas) and sign him to another four or five year deal – that’s huge."
In his weekly visit, Holmgren also discussed Pete Carroll and John Schneider acquiring more picks and the mindsets of GM's and coaches before the draft starts. You can click on the podcast episode above or in the podcast page, here.