Why Dallas Cowboys should pass on malcontent Earl Thomas

The Dallas Cowboys can finally land Earl Thomas — but they shouldn’t.

There’s no denying Earl Thomas is one of the best safeties in the NFL. There’s also no denying that on paper, he would improve the Dallas Cowboys defense tremendously.

For that reason, it seems to be a foregone conclusion that America’s Team should jump at the chance to add Thomas to their roster now that he’s once again available. But maybe they shouldn’t.

Games aren’t played on paper so rather than just saying Thomas is a solid player, we have to look at why he’s where he is. Right now, Thomas is a free agent because the Baltimore Ravens released him. And they released him with cause — meaning he will likely lose his money.

The reason for his release is partially due to a fight with safety Chuck Clark. However, it wasn’t just that simple. Reportedly, others on the team let head coach Jon Harbaugh know they no longer wanted Thomas on their roster, indicating he’s been a problem beyond one skirmish.

And looking back on his tenure with the Seattle Seahawks, this isn’t an isolated incident. Remember, back in 2018 when he was carted off the field, his very last image in a Seattle uniform was him flipping the bird to his own sideline — the same sideline that had to put up with him running to Jason Garrett after a victory of the Dallas Cowboys and begging the former head coach to trade for him.

Put all that together and you have a pattern of behavior. Simply put, Thomas is a malcontent and as Dan Orlovsky of ESPN pointed out, he burnt bridges with two of the most well-run organizations in the NFL.

So if Thomas burnt his way through Seattle and Baltimore, why in the world would Dallas be able to contain him. Or better yet, why would they want to?

Dallas has already seen how one bad apple can ruin things ‚— see Terrell Owens or Greg Hardy for an example. When a player puts himself above the team, it has an impact that can’t be measured. As great as Thomas is, the litany of red flags over the past few seasons is more than enough reason for Dallas to stay away and roll with Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Xavier Woods.

Thomas can be an elite player but a 31-year old who could potentially be a headache simply isn’t what this team needs.

In the past, the Cowboys have been desperate for a safety, and taking a gamble on Thomas might have been worth it. They’re not exactly stacked there now, but they’re set up well enough that they should let this ship sail away.