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By Calvin Watkins Feb 20, 2019
Cowboys fans have spent the last year wondering how Earl Thomas would look with a star on his helmet.
Last year the Cowboys tried to acquire Thomas in a trade with the Seahawks, with a second-round pick as their best offer. But Seattle wanted more and so discussions were tabled from the offseason to the regular season. Once games began, the conversations were brief and the teams made little serious progress. When Thomas suffered a fracture of his lower left leg, the injury ended any talks of him moving to Dallas.
Instead of upgrading their defensive talent, the Cowboys looked toward Oakland to beef up their offense. Dallas gave up a first-round pick for wide receiver Amari Cooper and he instantly ignited the group.
We’re on the brink of another free agency period, and this time Thomas is unrestricted in a market that’s a little crowded with talent at his position. Landon Collins and Lamarcus Joyner are at the top of the list of free agent safeties, with Tyrann Mathieu and Adrian Amos on that second tier of safeties that can make an impact. So where does that leave Thomas?
A source close to Thomas said there is a strong market for him from several NFL teams. But his age (29) and injury history are causes for concern. Thomas’ injury should require three to four months of recovery; given that timeframe, he should be good for Week 1.
His contract demands last year, before suffering his injury, were high. He wants to become the highest-paid safety in the game, a position he held briefly until the Chiefs’ Eric Berry signed a six-year, $78 million deal in 2017. In nine seasons, Thomas has 28 interceptions and has been named to six Pro Bowls. Thomas is a box safety who makes plays on the ball; ask Dak Prescott about him, he was picked off twice by Thomas last season.
Thomas wants to play for the Cowboys. The team is interested, but not to the degree most assume.
“I can’t imagine we’re more than bargain shoppers here,” a Cowboys source said.
Dallas will have a projected $45 million in salary cap space when the league year starts on March 13. A majority of that money will likely go to Prescott and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence.
Cornerback Byron Jones, running back Zeke Elliott and Cooper enter the final year of their contracts in 2019. The Cowboys can wait before giving Elliott an extension because they can place the fifth-year option on him starting in May. If and when that happens, he could be under the Cowboys’ control through the 2022 season, considering the fifth-year option could be followed by two franchise tags. Elliott’s agents are expecting the Cowboys to work a new contract this offseason to maximize his potential now before he gets too worn down physically to warrant a long-term contract. Contract extensions for Jones and Cooper are not beyond possibility this summer, but how much the Cowboys spend depends on what Prescott and Lawrence settle for.
So where’s the money for Thomas?
A Cowboys source said the team will not spend big in free agency, sticking with a common theme of the past two seasons.
According to Over the Cap, the Cowboys are among the NFL’s lowest-spending teams. The 2018 Cowboys spent $145.8 million, sixth-lowest in the league. In 2017, they had the third-lowest cash spending at $131.9 million. That’s partly a result of dead money on deals to Tony Romo and Dez Bryant taking up their cap space, and partly a product of a more fiscally careful franchise. Without any new contracts signed, the Cowboys go into the 2019 season with $116.3 million in cash spending, sixth-lowest in the NFL. Those figures are expected to rise given the five players seeking new contracts.
Dallas also had the second-least amount of money allocated to the safety position last season, at $4.9 million. Meanwhile, Seattle topped the league at $26.2 million, partly thanks to Thomas.
We’re not breaking any news by saying the Cowboys would like to sign Thomas because of their own deficiencies at safety. Strong safety Jeff Heath broke up six passes last season and had one interception. Free safety Xavier Woods had nine pass breakups with two interceptions.
In four games last season, Thomas had three interceptions and five pass breakups. This is a man who changes games. But the Cowboys are not yet sure whether they’ll invest in the gifted safety.
Dallas most likely won’t go after Collins and Joyner, who could re-sign with their respective teams. Mathieu is an interesting player worth checking out in free agency. Last season, The Honey Badger had 89 tackles with two interceptions and eight pass breakups for the Texans.
The Cowboys are seeking a safety who commands the back end of the field. Heath suits what the Cowboys want from a scheme perspective but he’s not athletic enough to cover wide receivers or tight ends down the field. Woods played well as the season progressed and proved himself as a physical hitter from the free safety spot. Woods and Heath are no Earl Thomas.
But the pair was effective in the defensive scheme in which the Cowboys blitzed more from their front seven, allowing their defensive backs the opportunity to make plays on the ball. The one man who could bring Thomas to Dallas is Cowboys defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator Kris Richard. He coached Thomas in Seattle and knows how to utilize him in this scheme. Richard isn’t signing the checks, Jerry Jones is. The owner did acknowledge, however, that he will look at the safety position once free agency starts in March.
Thomas is at the top of the Cowboys’ list, but they may just not be willing to spend the money he’ll command.
