FRISCO, Texas- The Dallas Cowboys are making moves in the off-season, adding depth to a variety of positions. The team is securing players for the upcoming 2019 NFL Season as free agency begins. Dallas signed safety, Darian Thompson on Thursday and exercised the options of wide receiver Allen Hurns, center Joe Looney, and linebacker Joe Thomas on Friday.
Dallas signed Thompson to a one-year deal, after the club denied to tender him as a restricted free agent. He was signed by the Cowboys off the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad last year and the 25-year-old appeared in 10 games in 2018. Out of Boise State, Thompson was drafted by Cowboys’ rival New York Giants with the 71st overall pick in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft. The team is weaker at safety and he will provide strength to the Cowboys’ secondary.
Even with the probability of Travis Frederick’s return to the Cowboys’ offensive line in 2019, the Cowboys are sticking with ‘Jumbo Joe’ as a valuable backup and positive motivator on and off the field. He joined the team in 2016 and assumed full responsibility of the starting center role last season when Frederick was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome during the off-season. The interior of Dallas’ o-line was plagued with injuries in 2018 to Zack Martin, Tyron Smith, Xavier Su’a-Filo, and Connor Williams, but Looney remained the centerpiece of the line. He not only helped Dak Prescott with plays, but showed his ability as a blocker-helping Ezekiel Elliott achieve the league’s rushing title. His dedication on the field in his first 16-game season, paired with his contagious energy and comedic demeanor off the field, boosted the heart and soul of the roster in more ways than one.
The Cowboys signed Hurns as a free agent in 2018 and in his first season in a Dallas uniform, he accumulated 20 receptions for 295 yards, two touchdowns, and a 14.8-yard average after the catch. The 27-year-old became more fluid on routes throughout the season and in the Cowboys’ offensive scheme, but his season was cut short with a gruesome ankle injury in the postseason. The team is hopeful Hurns will be ready by August and if Dallas does not re-sign Cole Beasley, he will become the team’s new ‘slot’ guy.
Thomas was signed by the Cowboys last off-season to a two-year deal worth $4.6 million. He missed several games in 2018 due to a leg injury but appeared in 10 games last season. Thomas played 58 snaps on defense and 138 on special teams. He recorded 10 tackles and the 27-year-old is a versatile player that could come in at linebacker and can be a force on special teams.
