The Dallas Cowboys can focus on the financial juggling they must pull off this offseason now that the Super Bowl is over. Star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb admitted that he was willing to restructure his contract to help them bring back George Pickens, but that may not be enough to tackle all of the Cowboys' pressing issues.
Unless they cut someone loose, owner Jerry Jones' team will pay a combined $63 million to three defensive tackles. More than that, they're also spending big bucks to pay Dak Prescott and the aforementioned Lamb. That's why veterans like Malik Hooker are obvious candidates to leave in the offseason.
Cowboys Need to Move on From Malik Hooker
According to OverTheCap, the Cowboys are nearly $30 million over the salary cap. Hooker is slated to carry an $8.9 million cap hit next season, but his contract isn't fully guaranteed. Releasing him would free up $6.9 million in cap space. That's not much, but every single penny counts when you're trying to build a contender.
New defensive coordinator Christian Parker will have to work his magic with a young secondary, and soon-to-be 30-year-old Hooker may not have a place there. Add in the fact that his health could be a concern after missing five games due to injury, and the Cowboys might feel better committing to Juanyeh Thomas next season.
Hooker only made 12 appearances this season, the fewest in his five years with the organization. He logged a total of 52 tackles, two tackles for loss, and one pass defensed. He was on the wrong end of multiple big plays, and with the Cowboys giving up a league-worst 60 touchdowns, there shouldn't be many incentives to bring some of their shakiest and least reliable performers — if any.
The Cowboys' pass defense gave up the second-most passing touchdowns in the league last season (35), trailing only the New York Jets. Clearly, they're not going to miss most of the defensive backs who might be on their way out, just like they didn't miss Trevon Diggs once they cut him loose.
With former DC Matt Eberflus at the helm, the Cowboys had the league's worst passing defense, giving up 215.5 yards per game. Parker comes with extensive work in developing young defensive backs, with Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean as two prime examples.
And with fellow Eagles safety Reed Blankenship also likely to become a free agent, the Cowboys might try to reunite him with Parker in Arlington, especially knowing that he might be a much cheaper option than Hooker after he also had a down season.
All of the above point to the Cowboys having every reason to move on from Hooker this offseason. Dallas needs more reliable names in the secondary, while the veteran safety could use a fresh start, illustrating how a split could be mutually beneficial.