Earl Thomas is putting the pressure on the Seattle Seahawks for a new contract Charles Haley Jersey , saying he will not participate in any team activities until his contract situation is resolved. That includes the upcoming mandatory minicamp. The three-time All-Pro safety posted a lengthy statement on social media Sunday, saying he wants ”certainty in regards to the upcoming years of my career,” before he takes part in any Seahawks related activities. Thomas is entering the final year of his current deal signed before the 2014 season. He is scheduled to make $8.5 million in base salary in 2018. Seattle opens its minicamp on Tuesday, and Thomas could face fines of about $84,000 if he skips all three days. Last week, coach Pete Carroll said he expected all players that had been skipping the optional team workouts – most notably Thomas, defensive end Frank Clark and cornerback Byron Maxwell – would be in attendance for the minicamp. Clearly Thomas has a different idea of where things stand with the team that selected him No. 14 overall in the 2010 draft. Thomas said after eight seasons he, ”earned the right to have this taken care of as soon as possible.” Thomas has spoken openly of wanting a new deal since the end of last season, when some of his antics gave hints he wanted out of Seattle. In his statement, Thomas said he wants to remain with the Seahawks for the rest of his career. Toward the end of last season there was some visible dissention. There was a brief rift with linebacker Bobby Wagner Womens Eli Manning Jersey , who has become the vocal leader of Seattle’s defense with the departures of Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril and Richard Sherman this offseason. And Thomas caught everyone’s attention when he chased down Dallas coach Jason Garrett following Seattle’s win in Dallas and told the Cowboys coach, ”If they kick me to the curb, come get me.” Seattle made the decision before April’s draft it would move forward with Thomas in 2018. Thomas was the one player under contract that could have landed Seattle a bounty of draft picks, but Carroll and general manager John Schneider held on to the star safety despite the contract uncertainty. Thomas just turned 29 and was an All-Pro between 2012-14. Thomas had his 2016 season cut short by a broken leg, but he returned last year to play in 14 games with 88 total tackles and two interceptions. ”I’m going to continue to work my craft and put in work so that I can add to the team and give us the best chance to win,” Thomas wrote. ”I hope my teammates understand where I’m coming from. I believe this is the right thing to do.” — With the usual cadre of teams aggressively arranging interviews for head coach vacancies in this first week after the regular season’s conclusion, Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur has become a person of high interest. The vast improvement by the Vikings during Shurmur’s first full year in charge of the offense has made it easy to see why. ”He has absolutely zero ego,” tight end Kyle Rudolph said. ”He comes in here as a tight end coach when we already have a system in place. He gets moved up to offensive coordinator halfway through the year and could have very easily run his system that he’s run his whole life. He adapted his offense to fit us.” Head coach Mike Zimmer said he’ll grant permission to teams seeking to take advantage of the first-round bye the Vikings have for the playoffs and speak with Shurmur in Minnesota this week. The NFL permits such an interview window to keep candidates whose clubs advance deep into the postseason from being passed over. The Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears Authentic Ezekiel Elliott Jersey , Detroit Lions and New York Giants have reached out, according to multiple reports, among the six teams with openings. ”I think he’s done a great job, and I think he deserves another opportunity,” Zimmer said. That’s another strength that Shurmur will present, having spent two years as coach of the Cleveland Browns in 2011-12. He went 9-23, which is better than his three successors have done with the league’s most woebegone franchise. ”He’s a good guy to work with. He’s smart. He’s respectful,” Zimmer said. ”And he’s tough on the players when he needs to be.” After finishing last in the NFL in rushing yards in 2016, the Vikings ranked seventh in 2017. They rose from 18th to 11th in passing yards. They jumped from 28th to ninth in touchdowns on possessions inside the 20-yard line. They went from 19th to third in third-down conversion rate. They climbed from 23rd to 10th in scoring. These gains in moving the ball and getting it across the goal line came despite the loss of both the starting quarterback and running back during the first quarter of the season. Injuries forced seven different starting combinations across the five offensive line spots, too Martin Frk Jersey , with the original lineup getting only six starts together. ”Most places looking for head coaches probably are ones looking for somebody to work with the quarterback and be able to develop a quarterback,” Zimmer said. ”He’s had the opportunity to work with a few here. So I think that’s part of what’s probably making him be an attractive candidate.” Yes, quarterback Case Keenum is the right place to start for other teams examining Shurmur’s updated resume. Sam Bradford was Shurmur’s guy, a relationship built through previous stints together with two other teams. After the resignation of Norv Turner halfway through the 2016 schedule that triggered Shurmur’s promotion, Bradford had his offensive coordinator in place again. He thrived in the opening win over New Orleans this year, only to be sidelined by knee trouble. Rookie running back Dalvin Cook went down with a season-ending knee injury three games later. But Keenum has kept thriving, with Shurmur finding an effective run-pass balance in his playbook while blending several types of offenses he’s been a part of in the past. Keenum posted a passer rating above 100 in eight of 15 games, after doing so just five times in 26 career games prior to joining the Vikings. ”I still think we have some room to grow,” Keenum said. ”Pat does a great job calling the games. The more time we spend in meeting rooms watching film, talking through defenses Jim McMahon Jersey , we’re getting more and more on the same page and seeing things through the same set of eyes.” Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs have been able to line up in any of the wide receiver spots and run a variety of routes, and Shurmur has seized on their versatility. ”He knows that to be a really good offense, we need to spread the ball around and keep getting guys involved,” said Thielen, who finished fifth in the NFL with 1,276 receiving yards. ”He just lets us do what we do well and do it a lot.” — Houston Texans Elite Jerseys
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