Dallas Cowboys Now Expected To Pursue Earl Thomas

The primary reasons the Dallas Cowboys cut Dez Bryant are commonplace in the NFL, but there may have been a deeper one at work.

Bryant is gone mostly because he wore out his welcome. The Cowboys put up with him because he was playing like a star and helped them win football games. It stands to reason that was no longer going to be the case if he didn’t hold up his end of the bargain. Dallas wasn’t going to put up with his enigmatic and distracting personality. That has since become the case. Despite being targeted 132 times in 2017, Bryant managed just 838 yards and six touchdowns.

Whether that has to do with a disconnect with quarterback Dak Prescott is up for debate. Regardless, the Cowboys weren’t going to keep paying Bryant $14 million a year for that. His exit gives them a little more breathing space under the salary cap at around $10 million. It’s not a ton but it’s a start and perhaps opens the door for them to make others moves that can bolster their roster.

One popular theory is it gives them the long-awaited chance to trade for Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas. A rumor that started last year when the Pro Bowler was caught pleading his case to head coach Jason Garrett to “come get me.”

Belief growing the Cowboys will indeed make a run at Thomas

It’s no secret the Cowboys need to make adjustments to their roster. Their failure to make the playoffs last year was a huge disappointment and underscored some serious issues. A big one continues to be their failures on defense. The general feeling is they need more star power on the back end. Thomas would qualify in a big way. Cowboys insider Mike Fisher seems to agree the Bryant exit makes this plan a likely one.

Thomas turns 29-years old in May. He’s also missed a combined seven games due to injury in 2016 and 2017. Nonetheless, he still made his sixth Pro Bowl last year with two interceptions and a defensive touchdown. There’s reason to think he can still be that star he was in Seattle for a couple more years at least. His leadership alone would be a boon for Dallas. It comes down to whether they’re willing to pay the Seahawks’ asking price for him.

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Estimates put it somewhere in the vicinity of a 2nd round pick. That might seem like a lot for an aging player but Thomas is the sort who can instantly turn a defense around. He’s that good. If Dallas believes they are one or two moves away from making a run at the Super Bowl, then they should consider this course of action strongly.