Dallas Cowboys interest in Landon Collins, Earl Thomas savvy business
The Dallas Cowboys are in the market for a safety in free agency, reportedly being linked to both Earl Thomas and Landon Collins, and that’s savvy.
While the Dallas Cowboys offense struggled to start the 2018 season, the defense became their bread and butter. With linebackers Jaylon Smith and rookie Leighton Vander Esch emerging as stars, they became a stalwart on that side of the ball. However, with Byron Jones moving from free safety to corner, the back end of the secondary left a good bit to be desired.
The general consensus among fans and experts alike entering the 2019 season appeared to be that the Cowboys would address the safety position to upgrade the starting duo of Xavier Woods and Jeff Heath. The question was whether they would choose to do that in free agency or the NFL Draft, despite not having a first-round pick thanks to the Amari Cooper trade.
It’s becoming clear, as the legal tampering period begins on Monday, March 11, that the Cowboys are likely going to address the need in free agency, or at least try to make a splash in doing so. According to Ian Rapoport in an appearance on NFL Network, the Cowboys are still alive in the race to land former Seahawk Earl Thomas and could also be involved in pursuing former Giant Landon Collins.
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Even after placing the franchise tag on Demarcus Lawrence (worth $20,571,600 on the cap), the Cowboys still have just shy of $20 million to work with in free agency, per Over the Cap.
Moreover, they can create more room depending on what they do with some contract restructuring and potential cuts moving forward. Thus, with newfound money to operate with, Dallas could indeed afford to make a splash going after a star safety like Collins or Thomas.
While there is something positive to be said about a team in the Cowboys’ position not allocating so much of their resources to one star player, adding a star at safety could be a game-changer for this already on-the-rise defensive unit. Safety was a clear area of weakness at times throughout the 2018 campaign, so adding high-end stability to that group would make this a truly fearsome unit in Dallas.
On top of that, the Cowboys lack of a first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft really makes the notion of pursuing a free agent safety more attractive. Though this is a talented draft class, the safety position is lacking quite a bit, especially in terms of depth and even in star caliber players as well. There are high hopes for guys like Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Nasir Adderley or Deionte Thompson, but every prospect has clear holes and question marks present as Day 1 players.
Thomas and Collins don’t have those holes (when healthy, at least), however. And, considering the lack of depth of the draft class at the position, those top players could be well off the board by the time Dallas makes their first selection in late April.
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Given the shape of the offseason for the Cowboys, going after the top-dog safeties in free agency may seem reckless to some, but it’s ultimately the savvy, smart decision for the team in their current position. Sure, this a team always looking to make a splash, but this just happens to be the right time and place to make one as well.