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San Francisco 49ers: 3 players to welcome under the Christmas tree

By Peter Panacy

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 08: Free safety Earl Thomas #29 of the Seattle Seahawks warms up before a game against the San Francisco 49ers on December 8, 2013 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. The 49ers won 19-17. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 08: Free safety Earl Thomas #29 of the Seattle Seahawks warms up before a game against the San Francisco 49ers on December 8, 2013 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. The 49ers won 19-17. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /
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GLENDALE, AZ – OCTOBER 23: Free safety Earl Thomas #29 of the Seattle Seahawks reacts during the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on October 23, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ – OCTOBER 23: Free safety Earl Thomas #29 of the Seattle Seahawks reacts during the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on October 23, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Seahawks. Earl Thomas. 3. player. 36. . Safety

Oh, wouldn’t it be a sweet Christmas gift for the 49ers if they could purge yet another player from their NFC West division rivals, the Seattle Seahawks?

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In this case, that would mean landing free safety Earl Thomas — a free agent this offseason, whose contract frustrations with the Hawks culminated in a season-ending injury and some disgruntled gestures when he was carted off the field back in Week 4.

Thomas will turn 30 years old before the start of the 2019 season. And he still has more than a few quality years left in his body. Plus, with the plethora of cap space the Niners have this offseason, giving Thomas the contract he wants shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

Here’s the kicker: San Francisco’s single-high, Cover 3 defense requires a rangy free safety with excellent instincts and reaction skills. Thomas has those and more. In many ways, he was the linchpin of the Seahawks’ once-vaunted “Legion of Boom,” of which cornerback Richard Sherman was a part.

Thomas would provide that immediate upgrade too, allowing other defensive backs like Adrian Colbert and D.J. Reed to supply depth in an area where the 49ers have suffered plenty of attrition the past few years.

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Paired with the gift of edge rusher Nick Bosa (we’re talking Christmas presents, after all), Thomas’ presence would massively transform what has been no more than an OK defense for the Niners at any point this season.