Dallas Cowboys: Pursuit of Earl Thomas is step in the wrong direction

If the Dallas Cowboys really do pursue Seattle safety Earl Thomas, it would be a step in the wrong direction as his pay is more than they should take on.

Talks of a potential deal between the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks are starting to make their rounds again as safety Earl Thomas is holding out of mini-camp wanting a new contract.

Many are connecting the dots as Thomas, a Texas native, told Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett to “come get me” following the Seahawks victory over Dallas last December.

There were reportedly discussions between the teams before the draft, but Seattle apparently wanted too much in exchange for Thomas. Now the rumors are starting again, but the Cowboys would be wise to simply say thanks, but no thanks.

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Sure, Thomas is a great talent in the back end of the secondary and he also would help the entire defensive backfield learn what new assistant coach Kris Richard will be teaching them as they were in Seattle together.

That part would be great, but the Cowboys should still walk away. This isn’t about the compensation Seattle wants though, but instead about what Thomas wants.

Thomas has a desire to get paid, and he should. The problem is, Dallas is already cap-strapped as it is and they need to find a way to solve their own contract dilemmas before taking on more.

Meanwhile, Dallas has taken care of right guard Zack Martin with a monstrous six-year extension. Martin is arguably the best in the game at what he does, and like Thomas he deserves to get paid.

So while having the negotiations with Martin behind them is great, that doesn’t dismiss the fact that now paying Thomas would be counterproductive.

Dallas has changed philosophies in recent seasons and they now base their roster building on drafting well and keeping that talent. In the old days, they would have gladly traded for a soon-to-be 30-year old safety and given him that massive deal he desires.

That would also have blown up in their faces in the past.

Here they would be smarter to stick to the plan. Keep the players who have proven they’re still on the rise and let the young talent get on the field and prove themselves.

The depth chart now looks to have Jeff Heath at strong safety and second-year pro Xavier Woods at free safety. Heath is an underrated player that can fill his role and do whatever is asked of him.

As for Woods, he flashed great potential as a coverage player and deserves a chance to show what he can do.

They also have Kavon Frazier, who came on late in the year and played with extreme physicality. Should Woods not be up to the task as a starter, Frazier at strong safety is an option and Heath has the versatility to move to free safety.

Worst case scenario, players like Tre Boston, Kenny Vaccaro and Eric Reid are on the free agent market and could all start in a pinch — without requiring the type of contract that could put the Boys back in salary cap hell.

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So it isn’t a popular opinion, but Dallas needs to stay the course and ignore the tempting move to go after Earl Thomas. Doing so would have a short-term gain as Thomas clearly is a great player. There could be some long-term pain however as his contract would quickly become a bad one on the books as soon as he begins to age and no longer is worth that elite money.

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