BALTIMORE — Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh declined to go into detail Sunday about the team’s decision to release seven-time safety Earl Thomas, who engaged in a fight with a teammate earlier this week.
When faced with a question about Thomas during a video news conference, Harbaugh referenced a tweet from the Ravens which read, “We have terminated S Earl Thomas’ contract for personal conduct that has adversely affected the Baltimore Ravens.”
“The statement speaks for itself,” Harbaugh said. “There’s really not much more to add to that. We’re just planning on leaving it at that at this point.”
Pass defense coordinator Chris Hewitt spoke with reporters after Harbaugh and was similarly quick to bat down questions about Thomas, a 31-year-old who in March 2019 signed the largest contract the Ravens have given a player from outside of the organization.
“Coach has already talked about that, and we’ve moved on in a different direction, so if you guys want to keep on talking about Earl Thomas, I think we’ve already addressed that,” Hewitt said.
Thomas signed a four-year, $55 million contract with the Ravens last offseason and was due to count $15 million against the team’s salary cap in 2020. Language in Thomas’ contract and the Ravens’ claim that Thomas’ behavior was detrimental to the team could help cushion the salary cap blow.
Still, Thomas’ departure raises questions and leaves a hole in Baltimore’s secondary.
Harbaugh and Hewitt both said Sunday that DeShon Elliott was prepared to shoulder more playing time in his third NFL season.
“He’s practicing really well,” Harbaugh said. “He’s been working hard all through the offseason. And it’s his time. So here we go.”
The Ravens decided to part with Thomas after kicking him out of the team headquarters Friday following an on-field altercation with fellow starting safety Chuck Clark that started because of a blown coverage. Various reports said Thomas punched Clark and that Baltimore’s players and coaches had been irked by Thomas’ behavior throughout the offseason.
Harbaugh declined to say whether leaders on his team asked him to release Thomas.
“We always talk; we have great communication with our players,” Harbaugh said. “We talk about everything all the time, and that’s where we’re at with it. We always talk about everything.”
And what are the Ravens missing without Thomas in their secondary?
“I’m good,” Harbaugh said. “We’re good moving forward. Eyes ahead.”
Thomas developed a reputation as an electric playmaker with an uneven temperament during his nine years with the Seattle Seahawks. He landed on the Associated Press All-Pro first team three times and helped Seattle win a championship, but his tenure ended after a contract dispute in 2018.
While leaving the field in a cart with a broken leg in his final game as a member of the Seahawks, Thomas looked at coach Pete Carroll and flipped up his middle finger.
In Baltimore, Thomas earned more than $20 million for one season’s worth of work. He made a Pro Bowl and helped the Ravens win the AFC North, while also struggling to find his fit in the locker room.
And Sunday, Ravens coaches said they were prepared to leave memories of Thomas in the rearview. Harbaugh said the team will train young players and could work a newcomer into the lineup if need be.
“It’s nothing different,” Harbaugh said on the day the Ravens released the highest-priced free agent in team history with three years left on his contract. “This is how it goes, whether it’s a personnel change or anything else that might come up.”
Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work.
Aaron Kasinitz covers the Baltimore Ravens for PennLive and can be reached at akasinitz@pennlive.com or on Twitter @AaronKazreports. Follow PennLive’s Ravens coverage on Facebook and Youtube.
"really" - Google News
August 24, 2020 at 04:52AM
https://ift.tt/2Qi0kLh
Baltimore Ravens mostly mum on Earl Thomas release: ‘Really not much more to add’ - PennLive
"really" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3b3YJ3H
https://ift.tt/35qAk7d
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Baltimore Ravens mostly mum on Earl Thomas release: ‘Really not much more to add’ - PennLive"
Post a Comment