Malik Hooker was a part of a wave of safeties that were added to the Cowboys' roster in 2021, which included Jayron Kearse and Damontae Kazee, as well. The Cowboys were cautious with Hooker seeing as he was coming off of an Achilles tear, and he eventually worked his way into the safety rotation.

Hooker appeared in 15 games and logged 44 tackles on the season (tied for second-most of his career) while also hauling in his first interception since 2019. He's set to hit free agency after playing out his one-year deal in Dallas, and Pro Football Focus sees him as the best bargain at the safety position.

From PFF:

"Safety isn’t a position lacking options in this free-agent class, which could lead to a player who hasn’t played in a full-time starting role since 2019 like Hooker being overlooked.

"Hooker delivered some strong performances for Dallas in his return from a torn Achilles injury that ended his 2020 season early. He has an intriguing combination of range in coverage with a willingness to add on in run support when playing closer to the line of scrimmage. Yet to turn 26 years old, Hooker will likely be forced to sign another one-year contract on the cheaper side this offseason, but there’s some upside for Hooker as a potential starter in that situation."

The injury history of Hooker is what makes him affordable for the Cowboys. Even if they bring back Kearse. That fits right in with Cowboys' executive vice president Stephen Jones and his conservative free agency approach of scrapping the bottom of the barrel for cheap roster additions.

“In general, from a money standpoint, if I’m looking into a crystal ball right now, I see most of our money that would go in free agency going toward our current players,” Jones said recently. “Doesn’t mean that won’t change. We might come across a value on a player that we say, ‘Hey, it’s just one we got to take.’ I don’t want to rule it out.

“But, in general, we go to our players and then we have to be efficient in the draft in terms of improving the team.”

Not only will bringing Hooker back not cost the Cowboys much but it will help bring some stability to the safety spot. Donovan Wilson, who is facing a contract year in 2022, is the only safety on the roster with proven experience as a starter.

Malik Hooker was once looked at as one of the better ball-hawking safeties in the NFL. He still has a while before he'll be back to that level, but the flashes he showed last season are encouraging. Hooker's predicted low price tag fits with the philosophy the Cowboys have when it comes to free agents, and they should consider bringing him back.

Feature image via Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports