FRISCO, Texas -- The Earl Thomas-to-Dallas Cowboys story began when the Seattle Seahawks safety intercepted coach Jason Garrett near the locker room after his team ended the Cowboys' 2017 playoff chances in 2017 at AT&T Stadium by saying, "If y'all have the chance, come get me."

One of the biggest moves the Cowboys made in the offseason was adding former Seattle defensive coordinator Kris Richard to their coaching staff, which connects more Thomas-to-the-Cowboys dots.

With the second day of the NFL draft set to begin, the Cowboys have a chance to pick up Thomas, but owner and general manager Jerry Jones would not speculate on that possibility.

"I'm not going to get into that," Jones said. "That's part of the deal. I mean not deal, but -- we have no deal."

Was it a slip of the tongue? Did he misspeak? A Jones-ian slip?

"It'd be a mess-up to go off that, I'll tell you," Jones said.

There have been discussions between the teams dating to the combine, but nothing that ventured close enough to a deal. Seattle's asking price initially included at least a first-round pick, but perhaps they would be willing to settle for less now. They do not have a second-round selection.

The Cowboys have picks Nos. 50 and 81 on Friday in the second and third rounds. It is always possible to trade away a 2019 pick as well.

For a trade to get done, the Cowboys could want the opportunity to discuss a long-term deal with Thomas. He is entering the final year of his contract and is set to make $8.5 million. Coincidentally the Cowboys saved $8.5 million in the recent release of wide receiver Dez Bryant.

If the Cowboys gave up a draft pick or a combination of picks over the next two years -- in which they otherwise could have selected potential starters at solid salary-cap numbers -- they would want to ensure Thomas would be in Dallas beyond 2018.

Thomas would be an upgrade to any defense, not just the Cowboys'.

An Orange, Texas, native, Thomas has been named to the Pro Bowl in six of his first eight seasons. He has been named a first-team All Pro three times. He has 25 interceptions.

The Cowboys are moving one of last year's starting safeties, Byron Jones, to cornerback. They have Jeff Heath returning to his safety spot. They also have Kavon Frazier and Xavier Woods as possibilities. In the pre-draft visits to The Star, the Cowboys had mostly midround safeties come to town, like Southern Mississippi's Tarvarius Moore.

"We like the position to address in this draft, but I don't think we're compelled to draft a safety," Jones said. "We don't feel that way."