The Indianapolis Colts want to make changes at inside linebacker and safety this offseason, so the team traded Zaire Franklin and let Nick Cross and Rodney Thomas II leave in free agency. Thomas had gone from a starter in his first two seasons to being rarely seen on defense in his last two.
In free agency, he signed with the Seattle Seahawks, but he didn't make the active roster. He was re-signed to the practice squad, which turned out to be a great thing for Seattle because he was needed in Week 1 against the New England Patriots due to key players being hurt.
Thomas was fantastic for Seattle, too. He showed the kind of physicality against the run and in coverage that the Colts appeared to think he didn't have. In 70 snaps, Thomas had four tackles, didn't miss any, gave up two completions on three pass targets for just nine yards, and broke up a pass in deep coverage that immediately resulted in an interception.
Former Indianapolis Colts starter Rodney Thomas II was terrific for the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1
If Thomas doesn't play as well as he did against New England, there is a decent chance that Seattle begins the season with a loss. He added a run stuff, too.
He proved he has the versatility to help a team win, and maybe that was no longer going to be with the Colts, but maybe it should have been. He has always been an intelligent player (he went to Yale, after all), but how well he might hold up physically was a question. That should have been answered by him never missing a game.
He also had six interceptions in the two seasons Indy trusted him to start. He allowed seven touchdowns as well, of course, but that isn't an awful ratio.
This past offseason, general manager Chris Ballard decided that the Indianapolis Colts needed to get younger and more athletic, and if that meant watching Thomas, Cross, and Franklin go, so be it.
But unlike Franklin, Thomas is still only 28 years old. He could have been a benefit to Indy's special teams and a valuable backup to rookie safety AJ Haulcy and Hunter Wohler, who had never played a regular-season down before this year.
Thomas wouldn't have been expensive either, but now he is gone. Unless the Seahawks decide to move on from him as part of the active roster or practice squad, Thomas is probably going to keep helping Seattle win games. All the Colts can do is watch.
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