Cowboys complete first step of safety plan with Malik Hooker deal

Safety has always been a position that the Dallas Cowboys try to patch up with cheap free-agent signings. For many years, the team has avoided doing big free agent signings or using early-round draft picks on a safety. While many hoped the team would bring on big names like Tryann Mathieu, it seems the Cowboys are still going with the same old strategy at safety. The first step in that was signing free agent Malik Hooker to a two-year, $8 million deal.

Hooker is just one of five safeties who are free agents this offseason. Other names include Keanu Neal, Jayron Kearse, Damontae Kazee, and Darian Thompson. The reality is that none of these five guys can do what a player like Mathieu does. But Dallas is refusing to make any big signings and it seems the team hopes continuity will help. It also is nice that Hooker was a bargain free agent signing.

The safety was a first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. Hooker played in Indy before joining the Cowboys for the 2021 season on a one-year, $920,000 contract. He played decently last season but certainly didn’t surpass Neal or Kearse in terms of production. Last year, he had one interception, 44 total tackles, and two passes defended in 15 games played.

Dallas Cowboys re-sign safety Malik Hooker to a two-year, $8 million deal

It does seem interesting that Hooker was the first to return to the safety corps. The Cowboys have expressed interest in deals with Kearse and Kazee. But the front office must have liked what they saw out of Hooker to complete his deal before the others.

Another reason signing Hooker first could be questionable is his extensive injury history. The safety has a hard time staying on the field. He tore his Achilles in 2020, but successfully rehabbed it before joining the Cowboys’ training camp ahead of 2021. But that wasn’t his only injury. A highly touted player out of college, Hooker had both hernia and labrum surgeries before he even got drafted by the Colts.

In his four years in Indy, he had two seasons cut short by injury. An ACL and MCL tear in 2017 and of course the Achilles in 2020. Thankfully, in Dallas, he was a consistent third safety throughout 2021. Hopefully, this deal means that the Cowboys see better things from Hooker on the horizon. It will certainly be interesting to see where the four other safeties land and if the front office does indeed decide to stay in-house for this position.