Malik Hooker sends not-so-subtle message to Cowboys about Donovan Wilson’s future

The Dallas Cowboys freed up about $30 million in cap space by restructuring the contracts of Dak Prescott and Zack Martin. The Dallas Morning News understands these maneuvers were made with the goal of re-signing some of their own players rather than making a splash in the first wave of free agency.

That aligns with how the Cowboys have gone about their business. While not overly exciting, it does offer some hope that one of Donovan Wilson or Leighton Vander Esch will be back donning the star next season.

We polled fans on Twitter to see which player they most want back, and Wilson won without much of a challenge from LVE supporters.

Of course, fans would take both players back in a heartbeat — if the money is right, obviously — but it speaks volumes about the season Wilson put together in 2022 that he received 68.2 percent of the vote.

You can add Malik Hooker to that list as well. Check out the not-so-subtle message Hooker sent the Cowboys about Wilson on Twitter.

Malik Hooker wants the Cowboys to re-sign Donovan Wilson

Hooker is speaking seemingly for the entire fan base. As one third of Dallas’ star safety trio, Hooker doesn’t want the group to get split up. While he and Jayron Kearse are under contract for 2023, Wilson is an unrestricted free agent and put together the best season of his career last campaign.

Not only that, but Wilson was one of the NFL’s top safeties in 2022. In fact, according to Pro Football Focus, the 2019 sixth-round pick ranked first at the position in pressures (14) and defensive stops (40). He also led the team with 101 combined tackles, and added five sacks, two forced fumbles, seven tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits, and allowed only a 84.2 passer rating in coverage.

Unfortunately, that performance drove up Wilson’s price tag, and the latest rumblings indicate he and Dallas are far apart in negotiations. Sports Illustrated’s Mike Fisher noted as recently as Sunday that talks have been on the “slow-moving side,” indicating there’s work to be done to reach a middle ground.

However, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler offered some optimism in a recent article, saying “watch for Dallas to try to figure something out with safety Donovan Wilson, a valuable player for Dan Quinn’s defense.”

Could Dan Quinn make it worth with another safety? Perhaps, but Wilson isn’t a traditional safety. He lines up everywhere and brings an element that most DBs don’t with his ability to apply pressure and blow up running plays.

Not to mention that Wilson sets the tone for the rest of the defense with his ferocious playing style.

The Cowboys’ safety trio was one of the bright spots of the 2022 season, and the front office should strive to keep it together. If that means paying a safety more than what they’re comfortable with, then so be it. They have the means to get it done now that Dak and Martin have been restructured.

Listen to Hooker!

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