Everything the Dallas Cowboys’ braintrust has said since the 2024 season ended has hinted they’ll be more aggressive this offseason. If there’s one thing Jerry and Stephen Jones do not deserve from fans, though, it is the benefit of the doubt so they’ll have to put words into action.
After all, we are just 12 months removed from Jerry Jones proclaiming the team will be “all-in” last offseason only to spend the least money of any team in free agency.
The Joneses keep going back to paying Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb top-of-the-market deals, but extending homegrown stars who play premium positions should be the bare minimum expectation. And it certainly shouldn’t be painted as an excuse to ignore other roster holes.
It’s way too early to say that the vibes feel different this offseason, but things are off to a promising start after executive vice president Stephen Jones caught up with reporters at the scouting combine in Indianapolis.
The latest buzz? The Cowboys have initiated negotiations with standout defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Cowboys working to re-sign star defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa
“We’re certainly working with him right now, working with his agent,” Jones said of Odighizuwa, via Harris. “We’ve had productive talks. We’ll see where they end up this week… We’re working to get a deal done with Osa.
Harris also got some key insight from Jones on DeMarcus Lawrence’s future. The EVP wasn’t as bullish on Lawrence relative to Odighizuwa, but Jones revealed discussions with Lawrence have started and those will continue this week up in Indy.
“We’ll have more discussions this week,” Jones said of Lawrence. “I don’t want to get out in front or assume one thing or the other. I assume he can speak to that, that’s where we like to leave it.”
Re-signing Lawrence would be massive as he is far and away the team’s best run defender. However, it is nearly impossible to envision Dallas’ defense without Odighizuwa, who was one of the most disruptive interior defenders in football last season.
Odighizuwa would garner a lot more appreciation if he wasn’t in the same draft class as Micah Parsons. The former third-round pick is an ascending player, has not missed a game in his career and won’t turn 27 until August. He checks every box in terms of a player who should be signed long-term.
While there’s an argument to be made whether Odighizuwa is worth $20 million per year (maybe more), the Cowboys simply cannot afford to lose him. He ranked top five among interior defenders last season in pressures and quarterback hits. He is one of the NFL’s best kept secrets as far as defensive tackles who can rush the passer.
Stephen Jones knows how to posture to the media, but it genuinely sounds like the team wants Odighizuwa back. That doesn’t mean a deal will be reached, but it is encouraging nonetheless that negotiations have started more than two weeks before the legal tampering period gets underway.