BREAKING: Cowboys Jerry Jones On Earl Thomas: 'Not Right Now' To Dallas
FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys front office has decided that the "red lights'' on the free agent Earl Thomas, the seven-time Pro Bowl safety, are pretty red.
"“I haven’t visited personally with Earl ... the big part of the decision is based on where we are right now,'' owner Jerry Jones told 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday, about 48 hours after the Baltimore Ravens parted ways with the oddly-troublesome star, the owner going onto suggest that a Thomas move will not be made right now.
So, not a "no.'' But a "not now.''
The Cowboys have taken chances before - even this offseason. Everson Griffen brings baggage. So does another pass-rush star, Aldon Smith.
READ MORE: Ravens Release Earl Thomas; Inside The 'Leading Contender' Cowboys Thoughts
Other organizations etched into stone their "no'' decision on Thomas more quickly than Dallas is, largely based on his two-year track record of erratic behavior. The Cowboys conducted in-house discussions on the concept beginning on Saturday evening following the news of his latest conflict inside the Ravens locker room.
New coach Mike McCarthy, who we're told was willing to be agreeable with whatever the front office's findings were, on Monday raved about Dallas' present set-up at safety. And on Tuesday, he mentioned backup safety Darian Thompson as being a candidate to push free-agent signee Ha Ha Clinton-Dix as a starter alongside incumbent Xavier Woods.
READ MORE: Cowboys Conduct In-House Meeting On Earl Thomas
But the exploration did occur. And Jerry suggests the exploration will continue. (Worth noting: We bet that will Dallas deliberates, another team might gobble up the safety ... as soon as today.)
"It shouldn't be a surprise,'' COO Stephen Jones said on Monday of the Cowboys' examination of the idea, "because (the position with) the least amount of resources committed to it is the safety position. We don't really have any high draft picks or any high paid players. Certainly, we got to continue to work in that area and that's what we'll do."
Said McCarthy on that same day: "The most important question you need to ask," McCarthy said, "is, 'How does a player fit into the locker room?'"
The Cowboys found their answer to that question on the idea of Earl Thomas. And the answer is "not now.''
