Green Bay Packers: Earl Thomas trade in play with struggling safeties?

After poor starts to the season by Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Kentrell Brice, should the Green Bay Packers make a move for All-Pro safety Earl Thomas?

The Green Bay Packers were supposed to have a revamped secondary entering the 2018 season. Led by veteran Tramon Williams, the cornerback group has been solid if not spectacular, but the play of Green Bay’s safeties is another story. Through three games, the Packers defense has given up 84 points, and appears to lack a pure game-changer. Could it be time for a trade for Seattle Seahawks’ All-Pro safety Earl Thomas?

Thomas is a game-wrecker, and already has 13 tackles, three interceptions and four pass breakups through three games this season – all while skipping the entirety of training camp and holding himself out of practice earlier this week in an effort to avoid injury.

“I need to make sure my body is 100 [percent]. I’m invested in myself,” Thomas told reporters after Week 3, per ESPN. Clearly disgruntled, Thomas either wants a change of scenery or a new contract from the Seahawks.

It just so happens that the Packers have two 2018 first-round picks. With the poor play of Kentrell Brice and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix this season, maybe the idea of making a move for Thomas should be taken seriously.

At least three touchdowns scored by opponents this season can be credited to a mistake made by Brice, who came into the season as the starting strong safety. His first blunder came against the Minnesota Vikings on a 75-yard touchdown by Stefon Diggs, where it looked like Brice was supposed to provide help over the top for Davon House, but instead bit on a different route on the other side of the field.

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The other two touchdowns came on deep passes in which Brice misjudged the ball’s trajectory. On the Vikings’ game-tying touchdown drive last week, he failed to make a play on the ball in double coverage against Adam Thielen. The other touchdown he gave up came on the Washington Redskins’ first drive on Sunday, in which Brice seemingly allowed Paul Richardson to gain leverage inside without a fight.

On the other hand, veteran safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is the epitome of why you shouldn’t just look at the box score to determine a player’s performance. Although he’s had two interceptions on the young season, both came on errors by the opposing receiver — the first being a batted pass by Laquon Treadwell on a near-perfect pass, with the second on occurring on a wrong route ran by Jordan Reed, where Clinton-Dix essentially ran the route for him.

With Aaron Rodgers being hobbled the past three weeks, it’s become clear the offense cannot be relied on to put up 30+ points per game — and nor should they have to. Not all of Green Bay’s troubles on defense can be attributed to safety play. But a number of blown assignments and missed tackles have been a direct response from poor play by their safeties.

A trade for Earl Thomas might be a pipe dream at this point, but general manager Brian Gutekunst has consistently said the team will use any and all avenues to acquire the best talent to create the best roster possible. After missing out on the Khalil Mack sweepstakes, the Packers still have the ammo to make a season-altering move. Your move, Gutekunst.