Tedric

Thompson

Thompson spent eight games with the Chiefs last season but was cut in November. This is his third team since after short stints with the Browns and Broncos. The 26-year-old played in 29 games for the Seahawks across the 2017-2019 campaigns.

Thompson played only 14% of defensive snaps in eight appearances with Kansas City. The team also activated FB Andy Janovich from the reserve/COVID list.

It’s the second time Thompson has been cut in the last eight months. Thompson played only 14% of defensive snaps in eight appearances with the Chiefs. The 25-year-old will head back to free agency if they clear waivers.

Thompson had been given “permission to seek a trade,” but his market was never going to be robust. 25-year-old Thompson was benched following last year’s Quandre Diggs addition and then quickly landed on injured reserve with a torn labrum. He ended up playing roughly half the snaps he received in 2018. Thompson’s experience and relative youth will give him a strong chance at cracking someone’s 53-man roster this summer.

Thompson was plucked from the starting lineup last season when Quandre Diggs was acquired from the Lions at the trade deadline. 25-year-old Thompson was Pro Football Focus’ No. 74 safety of 91 qualifiers last year across 387 snaps. Thompson has one year left on his rookie deal. He’d likely only fetch a late-round pick.

Thompson took over for Earl Thomas as the team’s starter this year, recording 19 tackles and two interceptions across six games. He recently played all 76 defensive snaps against the Falcons and didn’t exit early, making this a surprising transaction merely 72 hours later. Seattle signed DE Dekoda Watson to the 53-man roster in a corresponding move.

Thompson is in line to replace All-Pro Earl Thomas, who broke his leg on Sunday. The 2017 fourth-round pick is a below-average athlete but has been given average-to-positive grades in his limited snaps as a Seahawk. Thompson gets no time to adjust to being a starter with Sean McVay and the Rams coming up to Seattle this Sunday.

Thompson (6’0/204) made 37 starts in the Buffaloes’ secondary, tallying 13 career interceptions and earning second-team All-Big 12 from the conference’s coaches as a senior. PFF College charted Thompson with an anemic 21.3 passer rating and 40.3% completion rate allowed in 2016. While an effective college player, Thompson’s drawbacks are his eighth-percentile athleticism, inconsistent tackling in the box, and lack of experience in man coverage. The younger brother of former Dolphins fifth-round pick Cedric Thompson, Tedric’s probable NFL ceiling is a third safety with special teams value.

A surprising fourth-rounder, Thompson is a below-average athlete for an NFLer. He’s also not the strongest tackler, and has a lack of experience in 1-on-1 coverage. He should be a pure special teamer for the foreseeable future.