Seahawks to make Earl Thomas highest-paid safety

Earl Thomas, who will average $10 million a season, has reason to celebrate. (USATSI)

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Earl Thomas, one of the league's best young safeties, will now be paid like it. A source with knowledge of the situation tells CBS Sports NFL insider Jason La Canfora that Thomas will have four new years added to the final year of his rookie contract, and he'll get $40 million in new money.

That will make Seattle's 2010 first-round pick the highest paid safety in the game roughly five weeks after Jairus Byrd earned that honor with the six-year, $54 million free-agency deal he inked with the Saints.

Thomas ranked ninth among all NFL safeties in 2013, according to ProFootballFocus.com, just behind Byrd, the Chargers' Eric Weddle, and the Chiefs' Eric Berry, all players who will make north of $8 million next season. (The Patriots' Devin McCourty ranked first.)

Next up: The Seahawks are trying to lock up cornerback Richard Sherman to a mega-deal.

Seahawks also zeroing in on a deal that would make Richard Sherman highest paid CB in the game. Hopeful it's done before the draft as well

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) April 28, 2014

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Jaguars RB Toby Gerhart says he's ready to 'be a dominant guy'



The Jaguars didn't give running back Toby Gerhart a three-year, $10.5 million contract to continue being a backup. Head coach Gus Bradley said he thinks Gerhart can be a bell-cow runner, and after spending four years behind the game's premier workhorse, Gerhart said he is ready to carry the burden."I had the skill set to be a [NFL] starter from the onset," Gerhart said to the Florida Times-Union. "... I've gotten comfortable with the speed of the game, but don't have the wear and tear on my body of someone carrying it 250 times a year."I think I'm in a unique situation. Even though it's my fifth year in the league, I can come in and be a dominant guy. I'm ready for my shot now."The Times-Union's Gene Frenette adds that the Jaguars are "banking on" Gerhart being productive with a possible workload of 240-300 carries. Gerhart's career-high in carries is 109, set back in 2011.



I have not been a supporter of the Gerhart signing -- I just don't think he's that good of a running back -- but if the Jaguars insist of giving him 250+ touches, fantasy owners have to take serious note. That number makes him an easy top-20 running back. Gerhart is a proficient receiver, too, so you have to imagine that the Jags will try to utilize that part of Gerhart's game often. Even if he doesn't put up an impressive yards-per-carry average, Gerhart is probably going to put up good totals just due to sheer bulk.