Seems like it’s the same story just a different season when it comes to the safety position for the Dallas Cowboys. Donovan Wilson showed last season that his rookie momentum before an ankle injury interrupted his progress wasn’t a fluke as he tallied two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles, and had 3.5 sacks to go along with 71 tackles in 2020.
He takes care of the strong safety spot but the Cowboys still need a free safety. Four-year starter Xavier Woods is set to be an unrestricted free agent and will likely find a decent payday with another team. With that being said, veteran Malik Hooker is a free agent option the Cowboys should explore.
The first thing people mention when they hear Hooker’s name is his injury history, and rightfully so. As a rookie in 2017, not only did he miss the NFL Scouting Combine as he recovered from hernia and labrum surgeries, but groin and shoulder injuries limited him to just one game of preseason action. He played in the first seven games (six starts) and recorded three interceptions but would miss the rest of the season after tearing his ACL and MCL.
The next two seasons Hooker started all 27 games he played in and registered 95 tackles and four interceptions, showing the immense potential he had coming out of Ohio State. Unfortunately, though, his injury woes resurfaced in 2020 when he tore his Achilles after just two games and was placed on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.
is Hooker’s injury history concerning? Sure it is and should be carefully taken into consideration before any decision is made. However, several reasons come to mind as to why he would be a welcomed addition in Dallas.
For starters, he’s a scheme fit for what new Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn will try to implement. He will have the Cowboys back in a traditional four-man front in a heavy Cover 1-3 scheme in which your free safety will need to have the ability to play center-field and have the range to make plays in the open field, which fits Hooker’s skill set to a tee.
Hooker would also be a cost-effective signing. With his injury history, he won’t command top dollar which goes right with the Cowboy’s conservative approach to free agency. The former first-round pick could easily be brought in on a one-year prove-it deal.
Then there’s the low-risk high reward factor. If signing Hooker didn’t work the Cowboys wouldn’t lose much on the financial side as mentioned earlier. However, if he were to remain healthy, they would get a Pro Bowl level player and it wouldn’t stop them from taking another safety early in the NFL draft like TCU’s Trevon Moehrig or UCF’s Richie Grant to groom for the future
Signing Hooker comes with some question marks, but the good outweighs the bad and the Cowboys should consider stealing him in free agency before he has a chance to test the market.
