It took awhile, but safety Malik Hooker is finally joining the Dallas Cowboys. After five months of silence in free agency and on the Dallas front as well, the former Indianapolis Colts first-round pick has agreed to terms on what sources tell CBS Sports is expected to be a one-year deal. Having already signed cornerback Kyron Brown to a two-year deal to begin the week, the 90-man roster count had again been maxed (Brown replacing a released Rashard Robinson), so adding Hooker required a corresponding roster move.
That move will be to place Mitch Hyatt on injured reserve with a knee injury, having already placed him on PUP to start camp.
Hooker will wear No. 28 for now.
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In March, the team began diving heavily into ways it could bolster competition at the safety position, something it has often overlooked doing. With the arrival of Dan Quinn as defensive coordinator to replace the ousted Mike Nolan, who lasted just one season in North Texas, came a renewed value on how the team approached the position; and it led to workouts for Hooker, former Atlanta Falcons safety Damontae Kazee and veteran Jayron Kearse.
At the time, it was Kazee and Kearse who walked away with an offer from the Cowboys, both signing one-year deals and, for Kazee, it was in large part due to where he was in his recovery from a season-ending torn Achilles suffered in 2020. Hooker, who suffered the same injury, was ruled out as an option at the time because the Cowboys weren't pleased with where he stood medically in March, going on to select rookie Israel Mukuamu in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft and proceeding through OTAs and minicamp.
But with several practices under their belt at training camp in Oxnard, California, Quinn and head coach Mike McCarthy decided to check back in on Hooker, who fared much better on the medical front this time around.
After clearing the mandatory five-day period -- per COVID-19 protocol -- Hooker readies to lace up for the Cowboys and go head to head with Kazee and others to presumably determine who gets the starting nod beside breakout talent Donovan Wilson and/or to determine the best possible rotation on the whole. To say Dallas is pleased to be able to add Kazee and Hooker to the roster is a bit of an understatement, when considering the glow emanating from McCarthy and owner Jerry Jones in speaking of the addition ahead of the actual signing.
"I think he just gives us another excellent football player," said McCarthy on Sunday. "He brings competition. He's coming off a major injury. We just feel he'll be a really good fit for us."
Jones agrees wholeheartedly.
"We feel great about having him joining the team," added Jones to 105.3FM the Fan on Monday.
A former 15th overall pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 2017, Hooker is the same age as Kazee and with a similarly high upside (if not a bit higher). Hooker grabbed seven interceptions in his first three seasons with the Colts -- a tantalizing stat for a takeaway-starved Cowboys defense, along with 76 combined tackles prior to playing in just two games in 2020. He's working to get back to prime form and if he can, a much-maligned safety corps in Dallas could potentially become anything but in 2021.
