Cowboys 'Would Love to Sign' Chiefs' Tyrann Mathieu, Says ESPN; Analysis
FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys roster is considered "loaded'' by many, and in 2022, at the safety position, the team got particularly grabby, adding recognizable names on budget contracts, all adding up to nice results.
And now comes a suggestion that they do it again, only with a bigger name and bigger money.
"Find a long-term solution at safety,'' writes ESPN's Bill Barnwell in a piece addressing the top needs of all the NFC East teams. "The Cowboys would love a safety such as Tyrann Mathieu ...''
We're not sure where Barnwell is getting the information that Dallas would "love Mathieu,'' given the fact that they have repeatedly passed on him when he's hit free agency.
We can say that we would like Dallas to add a playmaker like Mathieu; after all, he is ranked by PFN as the No. 5 player in this free agency class. But we would also add that as he comes free from the Kansas City Chiefs, he's coming off a $14 million salary for 2021 and is projected to get a contract in the range of three years and $46.2 million
And that's not generally the way Dallas rolls, especially at safety.
Barnwell writes that "the Cowboys need to come away from this offseason with replacements at safety,'' but in fact, what the team plans to do is to try to "replace'' the guys who are free agents ... with the same guys.
Jayron Kearse, Malik Hooker and Damontae Kazee all came here on cheap one-year "prove-it'' deals. Dallas feels they proved plenty.
Sign all three? That's unlikely. But put Kearse high on the priority list by giving him a big raise from his $1.2 mil wage in 2021? (To $4 mil APY, maybe?) That's realistic. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn working to persuade Kazee, who Dallas brought over from Quinn's old Falcons team? That's possible. Bid on Hooker, too, all in an effort to make sure holdover Donovan Wilson has a partner or two?
Absolutely.
Safety is also on Dallas' draft wish list.
The fact is, it is accurate to say "the Cowboys would love a safety such as Tyrann Mathieu,'' if what we mean is, "The Cowboys would love for an affordably-signed Kearse to keep making a Mathieu-like impact while also using a mid-round pick to find 'the next Honey Badger.''
That's what the Cowboys would "love.''
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