NFL free agency: One player each team should sign in 2019

Dallas Cowboys: FS Earl Thomas

For those with a short-term memory, there’s a backstory here. In Week 16 last year, Thomas approached head coach Jason Garrett and inquired about playing for the Dallas Cowboys after his time with the Seattle Seahawks comes to an end.

Earlier in the season, during Thomas’ holdout, the Cowboys offered a second-round pick for the three-time All-Pro safety, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Seahawks opted not to trade him, but the 29-year-old’s tenure with the team didn’t end well after he sustained a lower-leg fracture in a Week 4 contest against the Arizona Cardinals.

Thomas made an obscene gesture toward the Seahawks’ bench while on a cart headed back to the locker room. It’s unlikely he’ll re-sign in Seattle, which allows the Cowboys to acquire him as a coveted unrestricted free agent.

Before Thomas’ leg injury, he snagged three interceptions and broke up five passes. He’ll turn 30 years old in May, but there are still a lot of good football days left in his career. The ninth-year safety led the Seahawks’ revamped pass defense in interceptions before going down with an injury.

Thomas would also reunite with his former defensive backs instructor and coordinator Kris Richard who coached him for eight seasons in Seattle. The 29-year-old is a clear upgrade over the current group of safeties in Dallas, which include Jeff Heath, Xavier Woods, Kavon Frazier and Darian Thompson.

As a team, the Cowboys rank 29th in interceptions with three. Heath and Woods have one apiece; Leighton Vander Esch has the third pick. Thomas’ ball-hawking skills could elevate Dallas’ third-ranked scoring defense in takeaways, making this one of the best overall units for the 2019 campaign.