Report: Cowboys ‘leading contender’ to acquire Ravens safety Earl Thomas

p1_

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wouldn't NOW be the time you would be doing said "cross training"? during, say, training camp?

I guess it's just me, but nary a peep coming out about said cross training of corners
 

Stasheroo

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Jerry's trying to talk himself into it.
I think Jerry is trying to talk everyone else into it.

In my opinion, Jerry is for it and McCarthy is trepidacious about it, although I'd guess not deadest against it. His comments seemed to indicate that he would leave the ultimate decision to McClay and more importantly, the Joneses.

I think if Jerry can get himself a deal, and an escape clause if things go south, he will push to make this happen.

If not, I'd bet that Thomas ends up with the Browns.
 

p1_

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Jerry Jones refutes reports that Cowboys have made a decision on Earl Thomas

A source told The Dallas Morning News on Tuesday that the Cowboys will pass on signing the Pro Bowl safety.



By Calvin Watkins



9:31 AM on Aug 25, 2020



FRISCO — With another chance to add a playmaking safety to the roster, the Cowboys decided to pass on signing Earl Thomas, a source said Tuesday morning.



Jerry Jones, the Cowboys owner and general manager, disputed the notion the Cowboys were rejecting signing Thomas, especially when told during an interview on KRLD-FM (105.3) that a reporter from the NFL Network said they were.



“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Jones said of the reporter. “He has no idea what he’s talking about. The only one who knows that is me, and he’s standing right here.”



Jones calls the shots around The Star. He’s been the boss since he purchased the team in 1989 and please don’t forget this. Yes, Jones’ son, team executive president Stephen Jones, has a strong voice. Will McClay, the Cowboys vice president of player personnel, has major influence, too.



The Cowboys have others making important decisions as well. Jones’ decisions are well informed from the people he trusts.



Yet Jerry Jones is the final decision maker.



Jones wanted this known Tuesday morning as he watched practice at the Ford Center. Wearing a two-button, checkered blue blazer with a black shirt and black slacks, the Cowboys owner was conducting business like a boss.



With a calm and firm presence, Jones danced around the question of whether the Cowboys were done with their three-year pursuit of the 31-year-old Thomas.



“I’ll tell you one of the biggest things that you weigh is the obvious, but it’s right, is you evaluate where we are at safety, where we are in the secondary, where we are with our numbers,” Jones said on KRLD-FM. “We have plans coming in to work potential guys that you might have on the depth chart as corners. So, a big part of where we are has to do with where we are.”



So that means you’re not signing Thomas?



“No, no, I didn’t say that at all,” Jones said. “I said we’re not only weighing where we are, the roster. I don’t know if you got that part in, but a big part of this decision is where we are on our roster right now. That seems elementary. But a big part of this, and like all of these kind of decisions, it never comes at you real soft.”



The radio hosts, RJ Choppy and Shan Shariff, seemed confused by Jones’ answers. Choppy said after the interview he believes the door is open for a Thomas signing and Jones will make the final decision.



Bypassing Thomas doesn’t seem complicated. There were locker room and declining skill issues with Thomas in Baltimore, and Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy has stressed a good locker room presence is needed in 2020.



However, Thomas is an upgrade over the Cowboys free-agent safety pickup Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. It took about a week for Darian Thompson to surpass Clinton-Dix on the main defense to line up opposite Xaiver Woods.



So outside of potential locker room problems, are finances an issue? The Cowboys have $14.2 million in salary cap space, mainly for such a signing and for potential carryover for an expected reduced 2021 salary cap.



So what’s the problem? This is the Cowboys’ chance to make a play here for an instant starter despite his warts.



Maybe Jones was slightly unnerved by a headline in Monday’s Dallas Morning News that said: “McCarthy will cast the decisive vote.”



The new head coach has a strong voice in all of this, too. Jones has always given his coaches a say (well, maybe not all) in personnel decisions. But Jones doesn’t like somebody saying it’s not his final call on anything because in reality, it’s just not.



Thomas is not coming here at least for the time being.



“I like the flexibility that our guys give us,” McCarthy said of the other safeties. “I think a big part of this game is the ability to try to match up your players against your opponent. We have a number of guys that give us a lot of flexibility back there.”
 

p1_

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What happened to the culture of 'we', Jerry? You remember you said that when you hired McCarthy? Well, you did, asshole. Oh, I forgot, that was just another line of BS that fall so easy from your piehole.
 

Stasheroo

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"Thomas is not coming here at least for the time being."

I think this is the key takeaway. It's subject to change. And I think that 'change' will be all about what kind of deal that Jerry can get Thomas to sign. If there's an easy out, the people less enthusiastic about signing him will likely feel better about it.

I think that's what Jerry is looking into.
 

Genghis Khan

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"Thomas is not coming here at least for the time being."

I think this is the key takeaway. It's subject to change. And I think that 'change' will be all about what kind of deal that Jerry can get Thomas to sign. If there's an easy out, the people less enthusiastic about signing him will likely feel better about it.

I think that's what Jerry is looking into.

Didn't he say something similar right before signing Owens? He loves to deny with qualifiers.
 

Stasheroo

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Didn't he say something similar right before signing Owens? He loves to deny with qualifiers.
Not sure about that one, but I'll always remember BSPN's 'Professor' John Clayton unequivocally stating that "it will be a while before Terrell Owens signs anywhere". TO signed with the Cowboys the following day.
 

Stasheroo

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This echoes what I've thought. Jerry Jones would have to negotiate a cheap deal that the team can easily get out of it things go south. That gives McCarthy the ability to maintain the good locker room he currently has and clearly values. If he has the option to quickly get rid of Thomas I feel he decides to? I think he's likely to get onboard.

So I think the Cowboys offer a deal in the $5 - $6 million a year range set up to pay out weekly if Thomas is on the roster. Likely with some incentives to sweeten the pot.

And if that's not good enough? Thomas can look elsewhere.
 
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