When you think of the land barons of the old Cowboy days, they kept a Trail Boss and everyone else was hired ranch hands disposable depending on cost.
That is the Cowboys current management style regarding personnel. The will pay the QB, RB (maybe), and WR. Every other position will be filled with draft choices and players worthy of a second contract (never a 3rd, the extend the second contract). Veteran Free Agents will be signed on the cheap to jump start a fallen career. Cowboys will sign or draft players coming off injury or arrest/suspension for risk reward.
Since 2010 this has been in place. 2010 is the year Cowboys drafted a arrest/suspension risk Dez Bryant, and coming off injury risk in Sean Lee with 1st and 2nd round picks. Consider Bruce Carter, Jaylon Smith, David Irving, Randy Gregory, Demarcus Lawrence, Orlando Scandrick, Jourdan Lewis, etc. Look at the free agents Allen Hurns (off injury), and Travon Austion (cheap fallen career), Also look at how many DL/OL free agents have come from another team's practice squad.
Earl Thomas has not been signed for a reason and the Cowboys are interested for a reason. He has not played a complete season in 3 years. Cowboys are waiting for the right kind of guy at the right kind of price for risk value reward. That is why he is not getting the safety money flying out the door in NFL free agency (see Collins, Mathieu, Gipson, etc.).
The good news is that Will McClay, VP of Player Personnel, is very good at his job of finding draft picks, practice squad players, and following orders to draft players coming off injury or arrest/suspension for risk reward. The hiring of Lionel Vital, Director of College Scouting, formerly under Bill Belichick, to team with long time Cowboy Scouts and Personnel men like Ciscowski, Garrett (Judd), and the young Alex Loomis (Saints President/GM son), allows the cheap risk reward ranch hand philosophy to work. This has been the strongest the Cowboys personnel department has been since Gil Brandt and Dave Mansberger/Cornell Green and Bob Ackles and John Wooten days.
Cowboys want ranch hands and not trail bosses. Jerry wants cowboys and he will market them into stars for fans to buy in if the price is right.