Louis Riddick of ESPN.com (Insider required) names Seahawks CB Walter Thurmond as the most underrated free agent this offseason.
There are a number of reasons Thurmond has flown under the radar since being drafted out of Oregon in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Thurmond, 26, only played a combined eight games in the 2011 and 2012 seasons because of injuries after appearing in fourteen contests during a promising rookie season. In 2013, a season in which Thurmond registered his first interception, he was suspended four games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
Despite the character and injury concerns, Riddick describes Thurmond as a “very skilled player who can play inside (nickel) and outside on the corner, use press and off coverage technique, and play in zone or man coverage disciplines effectively.”
Pro Football Focus has Walter Thurmond ranked as the No. 31 cornerback in the league this season. While Thurmond may have been overshadowed by Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner, he is sure to draw some serious interest this offseason and receive a pay increase from the four-year $2.44 million deal he signed in 2010.
We have Thurmond ranked as the No. 33 player in our Top 50 Free Agent List.
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