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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. . And by all indications, the team is expected to select phenom Connor McDavid with their selection. The Buffalo Sabres, who were knocked down to the second overall pick after finishing with the worst regular season record, are expected to take the other generational player in Jack Eichel. . NORRIS COLE (Heat): Its funny, you watch a guy play and now really produce and it just jumps off the page at you - why? You put a young player with potential in a winning environment where there is veteran leadership, outstanding coaching and management and a way that things are done and its a wonderful environment for growth, improvement in a climate of constant accountability and expectation of achievement/production. http://www.sunsofficialshop.us/grant-hill-suns-jersey/. Irving played 10 minutes Sunday night before going to the locker room. He had two points and four assists, missing all five of his shots. The All-Star game MVP is the top scorer among Eastern Conference point guards with 21. . "I only want to go through this one more time," Crosby said Friday. The 24-year-old captain hasnt played since the symptoms resurfaced following a loss to Boston on Dec. 5. Doctors allowed him to return to full practice on Tuesday and while Crosby is pleased with the way his body is responding he refuses to put on his return. . The fourth-year guard from Carleton University kicked off his varsity career with rookie of the year honours in 2011, before racking up three straight Mike Moser Memorial Trophies for outstanding player. Consistently one of the top teams in the league, the Bruins have a lot of players that are desirable options in fantasy. Top Picks: While the Bruins arent a high-flying team, but because of the strength of their top lines, they present a lot of players worth taking relatively early in drafts. Patrice Bergeron is a two-way ace and while his scoring numbers are good, what sets Bergeron apart is his plus-minus -- his plus-80 over the last three seasons leads all forwards. Tuukka Rask Not so coincidentally, Bergerons left winger, Brad Marchand ranks second among forwards with a plus-79 rating over the last three years and 67 goals in that time frame ties him with San Joses Joe Pavelski and Vancouvers Alex Burrows, so hes not merely along for the ride. As maligned as Jarome Iginla may have been for his play in Pittsburgh at the end of last season, he had 23 points in 28 (regular season plus playoff) games and his 12 power play points last season were more than anyone on the Bruins. If hes effectively replacing Nathan Horton on the wing with David Krejci and Milan Lucic, thats a pretty good spot for Iginla, with linemates that should complement his game and provide him a good chance to score 30 goals. Another offseason acquisition, winger Loui Eriksson, is coming off a down season, his 0.60 points per game his lowest since 2007-2008, but hes been a consistent produccer, scoring 25 or more goals and 60 or more points in each of the preceding four seasons, so a move to a more competitive team, potentially playing on a line that racks up pluses year after year raises Erikssons appeal. Even though hes 36-years-old and coming off a season in which he scored his fewest points per game (0.40) since 2001-2002, D Zdeno Chara is one of the top handful at his position. Not only does he lead all defencemen in plus-minus over the last three seasons (tied with Bergeron at plus-80), but he ranks fourth among defencemen in goals (33), ninth in points (115) and sixth in penalty minutes (244), so hes a contributor across the board for fantasy purposes. With this ace supporting cast, it turns out that the most valuable Bruins player for fantasy purposes is goaltender Tuukka Rask, who is the unquestioned number one for a likely playoff teamm and, oh, he also has the best save percentage of any goaltender to have played at least 100 games over the last four seasons.dddddddddddd Value Plays: Its certainly possible that C David Krejci could lead the Bruins in scoring -- hes topped 60 points three times -- but his all-around production isnt ideal; good enough to fit as a No. 3 centre in fantasy circles, with some upside if Iginlas arrival gives his line a boost. Sleepers/Breakthrough: No one will be caught by surprise by LW Milan Lucic, who offers a rare combination of scoring and toughness, but hes a sleeper in the sense that he doesnt always play at his ferocious best. That element of risk means not investing too soon in Lucic, but recognizing that he provides upside as a No. 2 or No. 3 left wing. Second-year D Dougie Hamilton is a candidate for a breakthrough season after a solid rookie year, during which he scored 16 points in 42 games. It wouldnt take more than maintaining his status quo per-game production to score more than 30 points this season and if thats coupled with a plus rating, it makes Hamilton a viable fantasy defenceman. For deep leagues that count hits and blocked shots, Dennis Seidenberg offers value because hes been good for 100-plus hits and blocked shots in each of the last four seasons. Rookies: It took a long time for the Bruins to lure 27-year-old Carl Soderberg over from Sweden, and he got a taste of NHL action late last season, but he scored 95 points in 96 games over the last two seasons in the Swedish Elite League and he could upgrade the skill in Boston. The top forward in Providence last season, Ryan Spooner, tallied 57 poitns in 59 AHL games as a first-year pro, earning four games in Boston. He may not have room to crack a scoring line role in Boston, but Spooner could make it difficult to send him down this season. Undersized D Torey Krug made a splash in the playoffs last season, scoring four goals in his first five games, but if he has a chance at some power play time, he could be productive enough to be considered by fantasy owners. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. ' ' '