49ers 2019 NFL free agency plans: Latest news, rumors and reports
By Peter Panacy
49ers in a Bidding War with Cowboys over Earl Thomas?
Speaking of Earl Thomas, the Niners may have another player in the pursuit of Earl Thomas.
Speaking on NFL Network (h/t Fourth and Nine’s Dylan DeSimone), Ian Rapoport reported the Dallas Cowboys are “by no means out” of the potential free-agent pursuit of Thomas.
Thomas, who bought a home in Texas this offseason, could be forced to decide between Dallas and San Francisco. According to his former teammate, Richard Sherman (h/t Matt Barrows of The Athletic), Thomas would choose the Cowboys over the 49ers if all other things, including money, were equal:
Just bumped into Richard Sherman who continues to recruit former teammate and soon-to-be FA Earl Thomas. Said the Cowboys will be very much in the mix and if offers are even Thomas will go to Dallas.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) February 27, 2019
The good news for San Francisco is Dallas has just over $19 million available in cap space, currently, whereas the Niners are over $66 million.
Yet it all depends on just how much the 49ers want to commit to a player coming off a serious injury when there are other options out there on the open market.
It’s possible that could deter the 49ers from making Thomas the highest-paid safety in the league, too, as NFL Network’s Jane Slater (h/t David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone) reported the Niners haven’t even reached out to Thomas’ camp yet:
"My source [in San Francisco] tells me that they haven’t even engaged in conversations with Earl Thomas. He’s looking for a $14 million deal (average salary). He wants to get paid more than Eric Berry was in Kansas City."
That’s probably not the news San Francisco fans wanted to hear.