Opinions are like assassins, they sneak up without being called for and ruin people’s days. But still, fans rightfully look to the opinions of so-called experts when they are trying to process new information. Not every fan has the desire, ability or time to dissect each and every free agent signing. Some fans barely aborb a lot of content about their favorite team, so it’s no surprise that when a free agent is signed, they rely on the price point of a signing to determine whether the player was good or not.
Was there a robust market for the guy? No? Then he can’t be that good if teams weren’t throwing bags of cash at him. Others, sometimes, look to the takes of those in the profession to help form whether or not a free agent or trade target was a good acquisition. For Dallas Cowboys fans looking to get an idea of what kind of safety they acquired in Jalen Thompson, the latter category offers some support.
In looking for the 10 best bargains, CBS Sports’ Jared Dubin included the former Cardinals DB Thompson in his assessment of the first week of 2026 free agency. The soon-to-be 28-year old already has seven years in the league, and Dallas signed him for three years at $11 million per season, with another three million available in incentives.
Hey look, the Cowboys made an actual free-agent signing! Jerry Jones and company don’t normally dip into the market with multi-year deals, and they especially don’t normally spend double-digit millions per year to do it. But Thompson is a very versatile safety (389 snaps deep, 320 in the box and 249 in the slot last year) who should work well in new defensive coordinator Christian Parker’s system.
Also on the list were Commanders new LB Leo Chenal, Chiefs new DT Khyiris Tonga, RB Keaton Mitchell, and more notable names such as Mike Evans (49ers) and Nakobe Dean (Raiders).
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys FA signing of safety Jalen Thompson seen as top-10 bargain
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