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The Dallas Cowboys are taking a gamble on potential with the signing of Malik Hooker.
Hooker, a former member of the Indianapolis Colts, has reportedly been signed by the Cowboys. The signing has yet to be officially announced by the team, but Jerry Jones all but confirmed the acquisition in a recent interview.
With Hooker, the Cowboys are getting a talented but oft-injured safety. Hooker is coming off of a torn Achilles which caused him to miss most of the 2020 season.
Not only is the risk of a future Hooker injury a big concern for the Cowboys, but how Hooker recovers from last season's devastating injury will be something to watch.
When healthy, Hooker is a high-upside player. He's set to join a less-than-stellar Cowboys secondary. Hooker could very well end up as one of the Cowboys' best safeties on the roster with good health and a good training camp.
Hooker is the perfect example of a low-risk, high-reward signing. If Hooker doesn't work out, his contract isn't likely to be all that significant, which means the Cowboys can cut their losses with no harm done. But if Hooker proves he can play at a high level, Dallas has a starting safety on the cheap.
If healthy, here are three ways Malik Hooker can complement the Cowboys' defense.
Why Malik Hooker's Cowboys move could work out
#1 - Playing the free safety role
The Cowboys were in need of another safety who could play the single-high safety role. Luckily for them, Hooker was still sitting in free agency waiting for a team to give him a shot. He often played single-high safety with the Colts.
Schematically, Hooker is a great fit in the Dallas defense.
At free safety, Hooker will flat out be better in pass coverage than most of the other options Dallas has at the position. Hooker's ability in pass coverage is the biggest strength in his game.
He may not be the best run defender, but that's something Dallas will have to live with. In a passing league, you can never have enough talented players in coverage.
If he's healthy throughout training camp and into the season, it's fair to say Hooker has a decent shot at becoming the Cowboys' starting free safety. Even if Hooker isn't the starter, he would still be a nice rotational piece to play in passing situations.
#2 - Allows secondary to be more versatile
Hooker himself plays pretty strictly at the free safety position, but his signing frees up some of the other safeties to play more versatile roles.
For example, Damontae Kazee was signed by Dallas to play the free safety position. With Hooker now in the fold, Kazee can move around from free safety to the box and to slot corner. The same goes for Donovan Wilson, who has experience playing free and strong safety.
This allows the Cowboys' defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn, to get creative with his defensive packages. The more versatile the Cowboys can become in the secondary, the better.
#3 - Creating turnovers
When Hooker is out on the field, he can be a true ballhawk. As a sophomore at Ohio State, Hooker had seven interceptions and four pass breakups. In 36 NFL games, Hooker has seven interceptions and 11 pass breakups.
Hooker has a knack for finding the ball in coverage and making a play. That'll be important for a Dallas team that only had 10 interceptions last season, tied for fifth-fewest in the NFL.
The Cowboys have been desperate for playmakers in the secondary and they appear to finally have gotten one in Hooker. Things are looking up for Dak Prescott and co.
