As the NFL season approaches, Seattle Seahawks' safety Earl Thomas is still a holdout. The disgruntled safety is trying to force his current team into a trade, and one of the potential suitors atop the list is the Dallas Cowboys. However, the Cowboys rumors about Thomas to Dallas continue to suggest that they aren't going to play into his game just yet. A former NFL general manager agrees that Dallas is making the right "non-move" by refusing to make a deal.

Thomas, Dallas safety situation

As the season is approaching, Earl Thomas continues his holdout strategy.

Thomas wants a renegotiated contract or a trade from the team. He's been in Seattle since coming into the league in 2010 and has earned six Pro Bowl selections during his career. Still, the Cowboys are standing firm on not giving in. Blogging the Boys indicated that Thomas has now racked up over $1.2 million in fines. Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys are hurting in their safety spot. There have been some Cowboys' free agency losses. Dallas could have opted to sign several free agent safeties, but they chose not to.

The Cowboys currently have Jeff Heath, Kevon Frazier, and Xavier Woods at the position. However, Woods recently suffered an injury. Meanwhile, the Cowboys have passed on other options indicating that maybe Earl Thomas may be their target with a trade.

Still, they haven't exactly jumped at the opportunity yet.

There is a moderate chance that the Dallas Cowboys wait to make a trade during roster cuts. Some of the players mentioned by Blogging the Boys include the Texans' Treston Decoud, Colts' TJ Green, and Lions' Miles Killebrew. If they want Earl Thomas, though, it will come in exchange for more value.

Former NFL GM on Thomas to Cowboys

According to Sports Day, former NFL general manager Michael Lombardi weighed in with his thoughts about the Cowboys. Lombardi appeared on 105.3 FM The Fan's show with Shan and RJ to talk about the state of the Cowboys' team, as well as the Earl Thomas holdout.

Lombardi called the Thomas situation with the Seattle Seahawks, "one of the worst holdouts out there." He mentioned that Thomas is due to become a free agent once this season has ended.

He can play in just nine games to earn "free agent credit," so he may end up simply heading to a new team in 16 weeks.

He also mentioned that Earl Thomas is forcing Seattle's hand with his situation and he's also creating trouble for other organizations. Other players will take note of what Thomas is doing and may do the same if they want to "force a trade."

Earl Thomas is an upgrade but aging

The Seattle Seahawks' "Legion of Boom" defense had been one of the elite defenses in the leagues for a while. Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, and Kam Chancellor were among its anchors. They were ranked in the top 10 in multiple seasons during their rise to prominence. That defense also helped crush the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl.

The defense ranked No. 13 last season, despite injuries. However, as their defenders got older, things started to crumble and several players decided to move on. Richard Sherman signed a deal with the San Francisco 49ers for three years and $39 million after getting cut. Now Thomas would like to depart.

Over his seven years in the NFL, Earl Thomas has racked up 449 tackles, 10 forced fumbles, five recoveries, 25 interceptions, and three touchdowns. He's also defended 66 passes, so he could become a key leader on another team's defensive unit.

There's no doubt that Earl Thomas would be a major upgrade for the Dallas Cowboys' defense at safety. He's also aging and is going to be looking for a big long-term deal with his next team. In addition, he can decide he'd rather not stick around with Dallas after just a season there, so it makes perfect sense for the Cowboys to stand their ground.
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