Source: Cowboys Open Contract Negotiations with Safety Surprise Jayron Kearse

Want a Dallas blueprint to celebrate how “prove-it” contracts and NFL free agency is supposed to work?

FRISCO - Jayron Kearse "proved it.'' And the Dallas Cowboys have begun negotiations with the free agent safety, sources confirm to CowboysSI.com, with both sides hoping for a reward and a return.

Want a blueprint to celebrate how “prove-it” contracts and NFL free agency is supposed to work?

Meet Kearse, the 2021 poster guy for the upside of the system. ... and for 2022, a breakout player as he turns 28 who could quadruple his previous salary of $1.1 million.

Kearse

Kearse

OverTheCap.com has Kearse's valuation at $5.8 million; ProFootballFocus suggests a three-year, $15 million contract.

Is Kearse worth it?

Start with the review from former Cowboys executive and NFL.com senior analyst Gil Brandt, the Hall of Famer giving special attention to idea of the Dallas Cowboys re-signing him for 2022.

“The Cowboys are in for a tight cap situation and have 12 defenders headed for free agency, including three safeties (Kearse, Malik Hooker and Damontae Kazee). But Kearse stands apart after providing exceptional production on a one-year deal in 2021.

“Dan Quinn would surely welcome him back with open arms.”

That part about Quinn? We can confirm.

The "tight cap situation''? You know all about that; Dallas enters the week $21 million over the cap and is right now moving money on Dak Prescott and Zack Martin to fix that (maybe to the tune of $23 million of room, and can also make $24 million more of room if it parts ways with Amari Cooper and DeMarcus Lawrence.

The facts of free agency, during which in 2021 a trio of safeties that landed in Dallas on short-term deals? It worked out well with Malik Hooker and Damontae Kazee - but Kearse stood out among the group …

And not just because he’s 6-4.

Formerly mostly a special-teamer in his six previous NFL seasons, Kearse found himself in Dallas. setting career highs in tackles (101) and leading all safeties with 10 passes defensed. He became a team leader as well.

The Cowboys, in giving the journeyman a one-year, bargained for exactly none of that.

“I’m just being who I am, and guys pick up on that,” said Kearse during the year. “I’ve got to come in and continue to bring the energy because guys look at me as a leader.”

And more recently, Kearse spoke to 105.3 The Fan in a way suggesting his desire to return to Dallas.

"Because the strides we made in Year 1,'' he said, "it can give us a lot of upside going into Year 2, with guys being together.”

Kearse

Kearse

Kearse, Diggs

Indeed - and now he’s a leader in the field of “prove-it” guys who proved his "upside'' ... and who has just jumped up Dallas' free agent "to-do list.''

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