Throughout the offseason, there have been copious rumors about a potential deal that would send star Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas to the Dallas Cowboys. On a surface level, it makes sense. 

The Cowboys have a need at safety with Byron Jones moving to corner and only Jeff Heath, Xavier Woods, and Kevon Frazier locked in at the position. Thomas is headed into the final year of his contract and has been agitating for an extension that the Seahawks pretty clearly do not want to give him. The Cowboys have former Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard on staff. The Seahawks seem to be entering a period of rebuilding their defense, while the Cowboys' point-prevention unit is getting better and could use an influx of top-end talent to cap things off. 

A draft pick here, an extension there, and a deal gets done. Everybody wins. 

Not so fast, according to a Cowboys official. Calvin Watkins of The Athletic reported on Wednesday that someone inside the Cowboys believes all the Thomas-to-Dallas rumors are merely a media creation. Here's why: 

That makes perfect sense as well. The Seahawks don't want to sell low on the best safety in football. Why deal him for (example) 75 cents on the dollar when you can just get another season of top-notch safety play and collect the compensatory pick when he leaves? The Cowboys don't want to overpay for a pending free agent who has already expressed interest in joining their team. Why give up draft compensation and an extension if you can just sign Thomas outright next offseason, when the Cowboys will be loaded with cap space?

That said, there's a reason most of the rumors are connecting Thomas to Dallas. The football fit makes sense and he's both from Texas and a Cowboys fan, and he has already told Jason Garrett to "come and get me" if he ever hits the open market. These rumors won't go away unless and until Thomas signs an extension or gets traded somewhere else.