RENTON, Wash. -- Earl Thomas is the latest member of the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks to be locked up for the future. The best free safety in the NFL is getting rewarded quite well. Thomas and the Seahawks reached agreement Monday on a $40 million, four-year contract extension with just over $27.7 million guaranteed, according to two people with knowledge of the agreement. They spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because there had been no announcement from the team. The agreement was first reported by NFL.com. Thomas, a two-time first-team All-Pro, could have gone into the 2014 season with free agency on the horizon. Instead, Seattle made sure to keep the most important cog of its defence through the 2018 season. Its the latest move in a strong off-season for the defending champions. While there were losses in free agency and difficult roster decisions with expensive veterans released, Seattle re-signed defensive end Michael Bennett before free agency began, then locked up coach Pete Carroll with an extension through 2016. The debate was whether Seattle could get a long-term deal done with either Thomas or cornerback Richard Sherman before either became a free agent after the 2014 season. Thomas deal is finished and the Seahawks can turn their attention toward trying to get a deal done with Sherman and solidifying three-fourths of the top secondary in the NFL for years to come. Strong safety Kam Chancellor is already signed through the 2017 season. Thomas was Seattles second first-round pick in the 2010 draft, the first with Carroll and general manager John Schneider leading the franchise. Its turned out to be one of the most important selections the team has made since starting a makeover with the duo in charge of moulding the Seahawks into a championship club. "Earl is as serious a competitor as you could ever hope to be around. He is in it, and hes on it and dialed in," Carroll said before the Super Bowl. Thomas was Seattles second-leading tackler last season and added five interceptions, but its what his presence allows the Seahawks to do defensively that underscores his value. His speed in coverage and recognition in the secondary are among the best in the game. Much of what Seattle wants to do defensively is predicated on having Thomas on the roster. At one point early in his career, Carroll had to threaten Thomas with benching because he was trying to do too much. Thomas was getting out of position and being undisciplined in his assignments. As he matured, those mistakes became harder to find. Thomas recognition of what opponents were trying to run became so good that he could play alone in the back of Seattles defence. Often this past season, the Seahawks were able to move Chancellor closer to the line of scrimmage and ask Thomas to patrol the back end by himself. He did that job at an elite level and earned his second straight All-Pro selection. "In this defence, I think me and Kam do a lot. Sometimes dirty work, sometimes a lot of game-changing plays," Thomas said during Super Bowl week. "Everybody on the defence understands that. Thats why this defence is so compatible with each other. Its selfless guys. "Were going to put everything on the line for each other. Love is the highest frequency we have and we understand that, and thats what its all about. When youre filled up with gratitude, its a genuine appreciation for everybody around you. Thats the way I love it." Thomas has 15 career interceptions in the regular season and two more in the playoffs. Thomas will still only be 29 years old when his new deal expires after the 2018 season. . Just as the meeting was beginning, Major League Baseball unveiled Rule 7.13, an experimental rule for the 2014 season aimed at eliminating what the league calls “egregious” runner/catcher collisions at home plate. . With the Nets winning streak in jeopardy, Williams scored 23 points, 11 in the final six minutes, to lead Brooklyn to a 104-99 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night.
http://www.clippersnbateamshop.info/jer ... rs-jersey/. Watch the announcement live on TSN.ca at 12:30pm et/9:30am pt. This years honourees will be recognized at the 2014 Hockey Canada Foundation Celebrity Classic, scheduled for June 23-24 in Vancouver. . The trade deadline is Monday, Mar. 2 at 3pm et/Noon pt. TRADES COMPLETED SINCE OCT. 1, 2014: Feb. 15, 2015 Toronto Maple Leafs acquire: F Olli Jokinen, F Brendan Leipsic, 1st Round Pick (2015) Nashville Predators acquire: D Cody Franson, F Mike Santorelli Feb. . Of all the names out there who could realistically be dealt by Wednesdays deadline, Ryan Kesler remains No. 1 on the most desired list. And while were not sure if theyre any closer to a deal, we now have a defined price.ZURICH, Switzerland -- It will be Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Zlatan Ibrahimovic for a place at the World Cup. Portugal and Sweden were the first two teams drawn by FIFA on Monday for the European playoffs, though the pairing was talked about as a clash of superstar forwards in a two-leg series scheduled for Nov. 15 and 19. "World-class players like Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic, they do something extra to change the game," Sweden coach Erik Hamren said. "I am pleased we have one, too. But we need our team to be really good." Also, France will play Ukraine, with the return game in Paris; Greece was paired with Romania; and Iceland, the lowest ranked of the eight teams at No. 46 in the world, will host the first leg against Croatia, which fired its coach last week. The four winners will complete Europes 13 entries in the 32-team World Cup draw on Dec. 6 in Salvador, Brazil. Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic were consigned to the playoffs after their teams finished second in their qualifying groups behind Russia and Germany, respectively. "They will be evenly balanced and very competitive games," Portugal coach Paulo Bento said. "Ibrahimovic is an imposing figure, but the Swedes are more than that, they are good collectively." Portugal also had to advance to the 2010 World Cup through a playoff, after twice drawing 0-0 with Sweden in the group. France, the 2006 World Cup runner-up, also makes its second straight trip to the playoffs after defending champion Spain won its group. Four years ago, a notorious handball by Thierry Henry helped France beat Ireland in extra time. "(Ukraine) dont concede many goals and it will be a long away trip for us," France coach Didiier Deschamps said.dddddddddddd "But to have the return leg at home is a good thing." France and Ukraine last met in a 2012 European Championship match which was delayed several minutes after kick off by a torrential rain storm in Donetsk. France eventually won 2-0. Iceland, which has a population of about 315,000, is looking to become the smallest country ever to play at the World Cup. That record is held by 2006 qualifier Trinidad and Tobago, which had about 1.2 million. Though Iceland lacks the recent pedigree of Croatia, the 1998 semifinalist, the pairing pits a veteran coach against a novice. Iceland coach Lars Lagerback will be trying to reach his fourth straight World Cup with a third different team. He coached his native Sweden at the 2002 and 2006 tournaments, and Nigeria in 2010. Croatias playoff matches mark the coaching debut of 42-year-old Niko Kovac, who stepped up from the under-21 team to replace Igor Stimac, who was fired after poor results. "I met Niko a little when he took his (coaching) license," Lagerback said. "He looks like a clever guy." Kovac said he "did not expect this situation" and will work alongside his brother, Robert, another former World Cup stalwart for Croatia. "With him I am never afraid," said Kovac, who will be focusing on teamwork. "There was no team on the pitch. We have some good players but everyone working for himself." Greece coach Fernando Santos said he would have preferred to play the first match in Romania. "My message to the fans is that they should believe in the national team, go to the stadium, fill it, and put pressure on our opponents," Santos said. ' ' '
