NFL Rumors: Earl Thomas Meets With Dallas Cowboys Reps, But He Won’t Be Coming Cheap

Earl Thomas knows the talent and worth he has in the NFL, and he’s a man that wants to get paid for it. The Seattle Seahawks safety is one of the best defensive backs in the entire league, and he’s now a free agent looking for a home. Sure, he’d love to play for his hometown Dallas Cowboys — and he even met recently with them — but Thomas surely isn’t going to come at an inexpensive price.

The safety making the most money in the NFL right now is Eric Berry of the Kansas City Chiefs, who earns more than $13 million per year. Earl Thomas wants more than that — as he likely wants to be the highest-paid safety in the entire league — and that could be a major speed bump on a possible path to Dallas.

According to the Star-Telegram, Earl Thomas isn’t willing to give the Dallas Cowboys a “hometown discount” when it comes to his next contract. He played high school and college football in Texas, and he’s proven to be a phenomenal player who would love to go back home, but not for cheap.

With one suspension already in place and another possibly coming on the defensive line, the Cowboys aren’t yet in panic mode — but may soon be. As reported by The Inquisitr, re-signing free agent DeMarcus Lawrence is a true priority. The large contract he will likely demand may put them out of the running for Thomas.

The team may also need to hold on to some cash for the upcoming contract negotiations with Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper, Byron Jones, and Ezekiel Elliott.

Earl Thomas wants to become the highest-paid safety in the NFL, reportedly offering no "hometown discount" to the Cowboys, so he likely finds more money elsewhere https://t.co/sqvIXQMXJa

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 1, 2019

The Athletic reported that Thomas did meet with representatives from the Dallas Cowboys this week at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. While there weren’t extensive advancements in the talks, it was more of a learning conversation than anything else.

Dallas needed to learn what Earl Thomas was seeking financially in a contract. Earl Thomas needed to see what the Cowboys are willing to offer him.

A source confirms to @TheAthleticDFW Cowboys have met with Earl Thomas’ reps at the combine. It was more about gauging what Thomas is looking for financially.

— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) February 28, 2019

Earl Thomas has raised a lot of eyebrows over the years, particularly with his comments about the Dallas Cowboys and how he would like to play there. Two years ago, he even told Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett that the team should try and sign him in the future — if the chance arrives.

The Dallas Cowboys are already facing a number of big challenges when it comes to free agency and contracts for the upcoming season. DeMarcus Lawrence has to be the top priority, even though the Cowboys would love to finally sign Earl Thomas, but the money may simply not be there. It seems as if Thomas’ time with the Seattle Seahawks has come to an end, but any team wanting to sign him will have to pay for his talent.