All offseason, there was intense speculation that the Seattle Seahawks would trade Earl Thomas to the Dallas Cowboys. It made sense. Thomas is from Texas, played at the University of Texas, and even told Cowboys coach Jason Garrett last year to "come get me" if the team ever has a chance. Rumors popped up in the lead-up to the draft and even on draft day, but the two sides never agreed to a deal. But when the Seahawks didn't give him a contract extension this offseason and Thomas decided to hold out of mini-camp, training camp, and most of the preseason, rumors continued to swirl.
Instead, Thomas ended up showing up to the Seahawks facility just before the first game of the regular season. He's been on the field for each of the team's first two games and his resumed his place as one of the best safeties in the league. But will he be in Seattle for long?
According to a report from NFL.com's Ian Rapoport, the Cowboys want to rekindle trade talks with Seattle and get Thomas to Dallas after all. There's just one thing that they need to take care of first: playing against the Seahawks in Seattle on Sunday.
The Cowboys flew to Seattle ready to face the Seahawks and the player they have long coveted -- Earl Thomas. They tried to trade for the star safety before the season, offering a second-round draft pick to try to make it happen.
While the two sides have not spoken since before Thomas reported to the Seahawks to begin the season, there are several people inside the Cowboys organization who hope Sunday's game will serve as the impetus to begin conversations again.
It's entirely possible the Seahawks are willing to trade Thomas to Dallas but did not want to do so before the Cowboys played in Seattle in Week 3. As Rapoport notes, there's something of a precedent for this with Seattle, as they traded for former Texans tackle Duane Brown last year right after the Seahawks actually played the Texans.
With Seattle already 0-2 they could quickly be pushed out of any possibility of a playoff race if they lose to the Cowboys on Sunday. If that occurs, that could make them more willing to move Thomas. And the Cowboys are a good fit for his services given his documented interest in playing there, the team's opening at safety, and the presence of former Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard as the new passing game coordinator and secondary coach in Dallas.