The Dallas Cowboys certainly are in the position they wanted to be in right now.
Dallas won the NFC East in 2023 and failed to make the playoffs in 2024. The Cowboys dealt with a plethora of injuries throughout the campaign and they decimated the team. Now, the offseason is here and Dallas is going to go back to the drawing board.
One thing that certainly won’t help the Cowboys is the fact that they aren’t in a great place cap-wise. Over The Cap currently has Dallas projected to have just over -$2.8 million in cap space.
The Cowboys currently are expected to have 25 players heading to free agency. It’s going to be hard to fill in gaps on the roster this offseason, retain some of the team’s top free-agent talent, and manage the cap.
One player who is heading to free agency is 26-year-old defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa. It’s obviously too early to know where he will go, but it’s clear he’s going to cash in. The 33rd Team’s Marcus Mosher predicted that he will end up landing a three-year, $63 million deal.
“Projected Contract: 3 years, $63 million ($21M/year),” Mosher said. “This is not a particularly deep class when it comes to interior defensive linemen, but there are two top-end talents who will get massive deals. The first is Osa Odighizuwa, a four-year starter for the Dallas Cowboys after being selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He led all interior defenders in quarterback hits this season and is a force as a pass rusher despite less-than-stellar sack totals.
“He is on the smaller side for a defensive tackle, but teams prioritizing pass-rush ability and durability will fall in love with Odighizwua this offseason. Look for Odighizuwa to earn a contract worth at least $20 million per season. Given the lack of depth at defensive tackle in free agency, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he earned significantly more. We saw Christian Wilkins sign a deal worth upwards of $27 million last year, and Odihizuwa is younger and far more durable. There could be some sticker shock when his deal is announced early in free agency.”
He’s spent the last four years with Dallas and had a career-year in 2024. He logged 4.5 sacks and 23 quarterback hits. It would be great to have him back in Dallas, but he will be a hot name on the open market.
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