SerpApi.Org
It isn't often that you see Jerry Jones making an external splash in free agency. Most of the time, he prefers to gravitate towards one-year reclamation projects and sign the players he frequently failed to negotiate with to long-term extensions, most of the time after their price tag slowly goes up.
But 2026 free agency told a different story. Instead of the Dallas Cowboys staying complacent like they usually are, they got aggressive on the opening day of free agency. Not only did they acquire Rashan Gary from the Green Bay Packers, but they signed safety Jalen Thompson to a big deal.
The Cowboys inked Thompson to a three-year, $33 million contract, and the expectation is that he'll make an instant impact for Christian Parker's defense. However, not everyone seems to think that this deal will age well for Dallas, and the reasoning has nothing to do with his injury from a few weeks ago.
Dallas Cowboys' Jalen Thompson signing just received a grim bust prediction
While going over the biggest bust for all 32 NFL teams, Bleacher Report's Moe Moton predicted that Jerry Jones' out-of-character free agent activity would blow up in his face. He labeled Thompson as the biggest bust for Dallas, largely due to his interception numbers that don't jump off the page.
"Thompson hasn't recorded an interception since the 2023 campaign," Moton wrote. "Though he's registered nine pass breakups in that time frame, the seven-year veteran also allowed passer ratings above 102. Thompson logged seven of his nine career interceptions in two seasons (2021 and 2023). He lacks playmaking consistency and could be a free-agent disappointment."
I know it's gospel in the NFL world that safeties need to pick off passes to be considered impactful, but the 28-year-old is a rarity. He's not your traditional safety, because like Caleb Downs, he has the versatility to play nickel corner and drop inside the box in addition to patrolling the back-end.
And it seems like Moton is the only one who is concerned about this signing. Everyone else is aware that the Cowboys' defense needs all of the bodies they can find, especially ones who can make a Day 1 impact.
Thompson is an elite leader whom Dallas considered giving the green dot before settling on DeMarvion Overshown.
The 2019 supplemental draft pick from Washington State has made 87 starts across seven seasons in Arizona, and adding defensive backs with that level of experience is a massive upgrade compared to Donovan Wilson, so this shouldn't take much for the defense to receive a return on investment.
Jalen Thompson doesn't have to be the answer to all of the Dallas Cowboys' problems, either, so as long as he's healthy, Jerry Jones will regret nothing here.
Today's best reads
- 3 Young players that the Cowboys should develop, 3 to give up on
- Cowboys have one defensive wild card who could reshape the entire season
- Cowboys draft pick running out of leash could push Jerry Jones to admit defeat
- Cowboys' Dak Prescott earns huge praise from NFL decision-makers and coaches
- Jerry Jones finally broke an offseason cycle that haunted Cowboys for years
This article was originally published on thelandryhat.com as Jerry Jones predicted to quickly regret acting out of character in free agency.
