49ers safety Adrian Colbert could be in a battle for his starting job in training camp this year. He won’t be in a battle if the team signs free agent safety Earl Thomas. That didn’t stop Colbert from recruiting the long-time Seattle Seahawks All-Pro on Twitter.
Colbert on Wednesday tweeted a photo of Thomas during his time at Texas, along with three emojis – a goat, an airplane, and the Golden Gate Bridge.
It’s not difficult to decipher Colbert’s tweet. He wants Thomas to come to San Francisco. Of course, there’s the possibility that he simply wants Thomas to visit the Bay Area, but it’s difficult to believe that’s his motivation.
It wouldn’t be a huge surprise if San Francisco pursues Thomas given the 49ers’ struggles in the back end of their secondary this season and the safety’s familiarity with Robert Saleh’s defense. The argument can be made that no player has played the free safety position better than Thomas in his career. He has 28 career interceptions, 67 pass breakups, 11 forced fumbles and 684 tackles in nine seasons. Thomas is also a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro.
Colbert and Thomas play the same position, and the 49ers aren’t inking the safety to a big-money deal without the full intention of giving him the starting job right away. It’s intriguing that Colbert, a third-year seventh-round pick whose season was cut short by an ankle injury, would lobby for the future Hall of Famer.
Thomas does turn 30 in May, so perhaps Colbert is hoping to learn from one of the best players at his position before catapulting his career. Or maybe Colbert is all about winning, even if it means sacrificing his role. It could be a combination of the two.
Either way, the 49ers will very likely pursue Thomas in free agency. Getting the support of other players in the secondary only makes a Thomas-49ers union more logical.
