Osa Odighizuwa Free Agency

[CWR]

You'd have to be insane to pay that for him. A mediocre at best starter.

I would not even contact his agent. Next.

What part of "we like our guys" do you not understand?

 

[ConstantReboot]

Found this article about Osa kind of interesting. What is he worth?

https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/20...ncy-dt-osa-odighizuwa/?itm_source=parsely-api

I never thought of him as a top DT in the league, or even close, but some stats indicate he might be better than we think. I would love to keep him, but there is no chance I would pay him what Madubuike is making. If think Madubuike is just a better, more consistent player.

If Osa is going to cost $20 million or more, I would be forced to move on. He might still be improving but that seems expensive for what he brings to the table. The free agent list of DTs is short this year and I don't know if that makes Osa more valuable or not. I have to believe Jerry is probably not going to be willing to pay more than !4 million for Osa, if even that.

They can't keep overpaying their players and expect to build a balanced team. They might have to draft 3 DTs this spring because they may only have 2 under contract going into the2025 season, Mazi and Justin Rogers. Of course Jerry could spring for a free agent, something I do not expect to happen. Maybe they can get Milton Williams from the Eagles for less money.

I would be he will turn down $20 million from the Cowboys and sign for $15 million elsewhere, like Washington.

Who wants to play for a team where the GM doesn't care about winning and will lowball their contributing players.

 

[ConstantReboot]

These are the type of players you lose when you have a top-heavy roster. Last offseason, Dallas lost some good depth on the D-Line to Washington. So many folks on the forum labelled them JAGS, and were happy to see them go. Now we see Washington playing in the NFC championship game while Dallas twiddles its thumbs.

Osa is a good player. If he leaves, it would require a relatively high draft pick to replace him. Those picks are needed to improve the roster, not break even.

Dante Fowler and Dorance Armstrong combined for 13 sacks. So much for them as being JAGS.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

I don't listen to Stephen Jones. I look at the numbers for myself, not just for 2025 but for the next few years. If you want to push the problem down the road by restructuring Dak and every one else, go ahead, but I would prefer to clear the books of Dak's contract and prepare for a legitimate rebuild in 2027.

Also, the way people just suggest, cut this guy or that guy and get a few million CAP save. Great but then you need to find a player to replace the guy you cut. Cut Terence Steele for example. Then who is the RT? Draft a RT. Great, so then we used a draft pick to solve a problem we created by cutting Steele which means another problem somewhere else doesn't get solved.

The other comical suggestion is make so and so a June 1 cut to reduce the impact of cutting him. That's great too, except you don't see the CAP save until June 1. The problem is you have to be under the CAP in March and the best free agents are long gone by June 1.

I am not saying cutting Steele may not be the right move, but it may not be if you don't have a backup plan. You can hope for the draft, but if the guy you want is gone or you draft a guy who is not ready because you reached for a position then you plan goes to heck, and that's not a plan.

The Cowboys are currently $4 million over the CAP, taking rookies into consideration. They can save about $30 million restructuring CeeDee and extending Micah. But they also have 20 of their own free agents. $25 million does not buy a lot in free agency.

In 2026 they have $69 million in CAP space, but only 34 players under contract. 20 additional players will eat up that $69 million pretty quickly especially if you restructure players in 2025 like Dak, and CeeDee. Of course the answer will be, cut Diggs, or some other guy. Yup, we can to that too, but now you need a quality CB to replace him. Draft one!

In 2027, the Cowboys are $119 million under the CAP, but that's for only 12 players under contract. They have to add 41 players to the roster with that $119 million. And if you restructured everyone in 2026 pushing money into the future, or into voidable years ,as they did with DLaw and Martin in 2025, then that $119 million shrinks to a lot less.

The CAP is real or every team would try to sign all the star players. A mismanaged CAP is even more real.

How did we go from having 19m in cap space to being 4m over?

But restructuring:
Lamb - saves $20.5m
Diggs - save 5.9m

Extensions:
Parsons - $16.1m
Bland - 3.3m

Cuts:
Hooker - saves $3.75m
Wilson - saves $5.35m
Steele - saves $4.625m

By the way, Over the Cap shows we can add $86m with simple restructures, and $121m with max restructures. So adding $58m isn't pushing things.

That's over 58m in space with only the loss of three players that aren't playing to their contract. Progress stoppers, get rid of them. Steele has been bad for 2 years, lets see what Asim Richards has.

Turpin, Bell and Juanyeh Thomas are RFA and will be brought back for cheap. Mukuamu can be brought back on a cheap deal. Hoffman and Wheat are ERFA and will also be resigned cheaply. Would look to bring Dowdle, Lawson, and maybe Gholston back. The RFA and ERFA will be about $4m in space. None of the other 4 should be more than about $3m each in space, so you are looking at a total of about $15-18m in cap space. That leaves $40m to decide on O'Diggy, Tank, Lewis, and spend on a couple of decent free agents.

THis would be what is on the roster using the above:
QB - Dak, Will Grier
RB - Dowdle, Vaughn, Luepke, Davis
WR - Lamb, Tolbert, Turpin, Brooks, Mingo, Flournoy, Moreno-Cropper, Harmon, Williams
TE - Ferguson, Schoonmaker, Stephens, Spann-Ford, Fant
OL - Smith, Guyton, Beebe, Bass, Richards, Hoffman, Thomas, Bostick, Waletzko, Anderson

DE - Parsons, Williams, Kneeland, Lawson, Gholston, Wheat, Vilain
DT - Smith, Daxon, Rogers, Brown
LB - Overshown, Liufau, Clark, Buddy Johnson, Harris, Mogenson
CB - Diggs, Bland, Carson, Butler, Pride, Booth, Hall, Barcoo
S - Mukuamu, Bell, Thomas,
K - Aubrey
P -
LS -

We have the following picks:
Rd 1 - 12
Rd 2 - 44
Rd 3 - 76
Rd 5 - 148, 168, 170, 171
Rd 6 - 187, 209
Rd 7 - 248

Biggest needs are DT, S, WR, RB, LB and OL.

First 3 picks could be WR, DT and S and would likely be early contributors and possible starters. Other picks throw at LB, CB & WR.

Look to free agency for another DT, RB, and maybe LB or OL.

Look at the improvements the Skins made in one year, it is possible. And they didn't really break the bank.

Here are some possibilities of young UFAs at positions of need.

Here are some free agent targets to consider - decent production and young

RB - Add one of these and a decent draft pick
-Ty Johnson from Buffalo, has been pretty much just as effective as Cook when given the chance, would be reasonably cheap and a good pair with Dowdle
-Javonte Williams from Denver, decent power back that needs a change of scenery.
-Cam Akers - performed well as an all around back in first year fully back from injury...should be inexpensive

WR - a true #2 is needed. Draft might be best bet.
-Dyami Brown - looks great in a Kingsbury type offense and would weaken Washington
-Josh Palmer - decent years in San Diego, good size

G - young guys that have a lot of playing time
-Ben Bredesen - Bucs
-Robert Jones - Dolphins
-Trey Smith - KC
-Teven Jenkins - Bears

DT - big question is do you resign O' Diggy. He is an above average DT, but would it be money better spent on a different DT?
-Tershawn Wharton - KC
-Javon Kinlaw - Jets
-Levi Onwuzirke - Lions
-Poona Ford - Chargers

LB - Overshown seems like a stud, but injury history. Kid from ND was decent but that is really all we have unless we resign Kendricks.
-Kyzir White - Cardinals
-Jamien Sherwood - Jets
-Ernest Jones - Sea
-Nick Bolton - Chiefs
-Tyrel Dodson - Dolphins

S - just move guys we have up and draft some new ones. Hooker and Wilson are ok but probably time to move on.
-Trevon Moehrig - Raiders
-Jeremy Chinn - COmmanders
-Julian Blackmon - Colts
-Justin Reid - KC
-Jason Pinnock - NYG
-Jevon Holland - Dolphins

Many are on teams with coaches that are of interest like Saleh, Kingsbury, etc. These players could help bring in their systems in a similar way to what Quinn did in Washington. Quinn is an example of what a good coach and staff can do...they have turned around a team. Houston has done the same, and so did the Chargers and Denver. Quick turnarounds are possible.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Osa is the best and really only decent DT we have drafted since Ratliff in 2005. He is the third best player on a defense already in need of talent.

$20m for him is far better than anything we could hope for in VFA.

Pay the man.

 

[RonWashington]

Osa is decent in the passing game, but comparing him to Lawrence and Simmons in terms of his overall value is delusional.

Lawrence is the Gold standard . I thought OSA would fall in the 12-15 mill per category but at 20 you say goodbye and get another DT on a rookie deal like Smith with hopefully much more upside

 

[stilltheguru]

How did we go from having 19m in cap space to being 4m over?

But restructuring:
Lamb - saves $20.5m
Diggs - save 5.9m

Extensions:
Parsons - $16.1m
Bland - 3.3m

Cuts:
Hooker - saves $3.75m
Wilson - saves $5.35m
Steele - saves $4.625m

By the way, Over the Cap shows we can add $86m with simple restructures, and $121m with max restructures. So adding $58m isn't pushing things.

That's over 58m in space with only the loss of three players that aren't playing to their contract. Progress stoppers, get rid of them. Steele has been bad for 2 years, lets see what Asim Richards has.

Turpin, Bell and Juanyeh Thomas are RFA and will be brought back for cheap. Mukuamu can be brought back on a cheap deal. Hoffman and Wheat are ERFA and will also be resigned cheaply. Would look to bring Dowdle, Lawson, and maybe Gholston back. The RFA and ERFA will be about $4m in space. None of the other 4 should be more than about $3m each in space, so you are looking at a total of about $15-18m in cap space. That leaves $40m to decide on O'Diggy, Tank, Lewis, and spend on a couple of decent free agents.

THis would be what is on the roster using the above:
QB - Dak, Will Grier
RB - Dowdle, Vaughn, Luepke, Davis
WR - Lamb, Tolbert, Turpin, Brooks, Mingo, Flournoy, Moreno-Cropper, Harmon, Williams
TE - Ferguson, Schoonmaker, Stephens, Spann-Ford, Fant
OL - Smith, Guyton, Beebe, Bass, Richards, Hoffman, Thomas, Bostick, Waletzko, Anderson

DE - Parsons, Williams, Kneeland, Lawson, Gholston, Wheat, Vilain
DT - Smith, Daxon, Rogers, Brown
LB - Overshown, Liufau, Clark, Buddy Johnson, Harris, Mogenson
CB - Diggs, Bland, Carson, Butler, Pride, Booth, Hall, Barcoo
S - Mukuamu, Bell, Thomas,
K - Aubrey
P -
LS -

We have the following picks:
Rd 1 - 12
Rd 2 - 44
Rd 3 - 76
Rd 5 - 148, 168, 170, 171
Rd 6 - 187, 209
Rd 7 - 248

Biggest needs are DT, S, WR, RB, LB and OL.

First 3 picks could be WR, DT and S and would likely be early contributors and possible starters. Other picks throw at LB, CB & WR.

Look to free agency for another DT, RB, and maybe LB or OL.

Look at the improvements the Skins made in one year, it is possible. And they didn't really break the bank.

Here are some possibilities of young UFAs at positions of need.

Here are some free agent targets to consider - decent production and young

RB - Add one of these and a decent draft pick
-Ty Johnson from Buffalo, has been pretty much just as effective as Cook when given the chance, would be reasonably cheap and a good pair with Dowdle
-Javonte Williams from Denver, decent power back that needs a change of scenery.
-Cam Akers - performed well as an all around back in first year fully back from injury...should be inexpensive

WR - a true #2 is needed. Draft might be best bet.
-Dyami Brown - looks great in a Kingsbury type offense and would weaken Washington
-Josh Palmer - decent years in San Diego, good size

G - young guys that have a lot of playing time
-Ben Bredesen - Bucs
-Robert Jones - Dolphins
-Trey Smith - KC
-Teven Jenkins - Bears

DT - big question is do you resign O' Diggy. He is an above average DT, but would it be money better spent on a different DT?
-Tershawn Wharton - KC
-Javon Kinlaw - Jets
-Levi Onwuzirke - Lions
-Poona Ford - Chargers

LB - Overshown seems like a stud, but injury history. Kid from ND was decent but that is really all we have unless we resign Kendricks.
-Kyzir White - Cardinals
-Jamien Sherwood - Jets
-Ernest Jones - Sea
-Nick Bolton - Chiefs
-Tyrel Dodson - Dolphins

S - just move guys we have up and draft some new ones. Hooker and Wilson are ok but probably time to move on.
-Trevon Moehrig - Raiders
-Jeremy Chinn - COmmanders
-Julian Blackmon - Colts
-Justin Reid - KC
-Jason Pinnock - NYG
-Jevon Holland - Dolphins

Many are on teams with coaches that are of interest like Saleh, Kingsbury, etc. These players could help bring in their systems in a similar way to what Quinn did in Washington. Quinn is an example of what a good coach and staff can do...they have turned around a team. Houston has done the same, and so did the Chargers and Denver. Quick turnarounds are possible.

Those dt replacements are nonsense. That's why I laugh at the don't pay osa crowd. The alternatives are always silly. People complain about osa sacks and onzerikes career high is 1.5 lol just stop it man.

 

[RonWashington]

With a DT on a rookie deal from the draft the savings can go to 2 impact players Zack Baun LB Eagles and S Jeremy Chinn Commanders . Both on display Sunday .

I’m sorry I don’t see 20 million in impact from OSA and I like him a great deal , at some point you’re overpaying ( Dak ) . Shed Steeles contract as well to plow into a possible FA DT to go with the one you draft .

 

[stilltheguru]

With a DT on a rookie deal from the draft the savings can go to 2 impact players Zack Baun LB Eagles and S Jeremy Chinn Commanders . Both on display Sunday .

I’m sorry I don’t see 20 million in impact from OSA and I like him a great deal , at some point you’re overpaying ( Dak ) . Shed Steeles contract as well to plow into a possible FA DT to go with the one you draft .

Another year depending on rookies to save us. The Jerry Jones special.

 

[RonWashington]

Calais Campbell & Milton Williams are both FA as well at the position . I said draft a DT and alternatives in FA . For what OSA might charge why not try and upgrade S LB and get a DT

 

[RonWashington]

Washington supplied DQ in FA 2 linemen on D 2 LB’s and 2 secondary . Transformed the unit . Rather then plowing 20 million into one player .

 

[stilltheguru]

Calais Campbell & Milton Williams are both FA as well at the position . I said draft a DT and alternatives in FA . For what OSA might charge why not try and upgrade S LB and get a DT

pff has Milton number 32 free agent and osa 30. He's not taking some discount. I won't even address the Campbell stuff.

 

[plasticman]

78% of all defensive snaps in 2024.

19% of all special team snaps in 2024.

Before 2024, Osa's percentage of snaps per season was from 54% to 60%. I would consider that optimal for the average DT starter. Osa is not a superstar but he is a very capable starter at his position when used properly.

The Cowboys were already short of DT's coming into the season when they lost all four of their DE's by the 4th game. I thiunk, normally, Osa would have been given more relief if Golston had been more available. With Mazi still struggling, it was necessary to use Osa more.

Mazi's snap count was 48%, Joseph 24% and Phillips 25%. Comparing that to Osa's 78% reveals his true value to this team.

However hard decisions must be made to compensate for bad contracts.

 

[stilltheguru]

Smart play is sign osa to a 3 year deal and draft a dt round 1 but..........we won't.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

Found this article about Osa kind of interesting. What is he worth?

https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/20...ncy-dt-osa-odighizuwa/?itm_source=parsely-api

I never thought of him as a top DT in the league, or even close, but some stats indicate he might be better than we think. I would love to keep him, but there is no chance I would pay him what Madubuike is making. If think Madubuike is just a better, more consistent player.

If Osa is going to cost $20 million or more, I would be forced to move on. He might still be improving but that seems expensive for what he brings to the table. The free agent list of DTs is short this year and I don't know if that makes Osa more valuable or not. I have to believe Jerry is probably not going to be willing to pay more than !4 million for Osa, if even that.

They can't keep overpaying their players and expect to build a balanced team. They might have to draft 3 DTs this spring because they may only have 2 under contract going into the2025 season, Mazi and Justin Rogers. Of course Jerry could spring for a free agent, something I do not expect to happen. Maybe they can get Milton Williams from the Eagles for less money.

I recall Osa as a high energy player. He had 4.5 sacks (Parsons had 12 and he is my measuring stick.) Osa is in the middle of the pack as per tackles.
But he's durable. He played in 17 games.

 

[RonWashington]

This team has many needs . To sink so much into this player Osa would mean you can’t go out and address another hole . I go back to Washington . They supplied Quinn with Wagner Fowler Armstrong Chinn plus 2 other starters on D , serviceable players filling out the core of the D . Sunday if Hurts is as badly banged up as I think the Eagles are in a world of hurt .

This is the problem Dallas has . A “ capologist / GM that can juggle contracts and make the right call in acquiring talent . Jimmy had guy named Bob Ackles .

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

Those dt replacements are nonsense. That's why I laugh at the don't pay osa crowd. The alternatives are always silly. People complain about osa sacks and onzerikes career high is 1.5 lol just stop it man.

Sacks from a DT are great but they also need to stop the run, which is a problem. O’Diggy is gonna get paid big money by someone, it probably shouldn’t be Dallas. Can get a run stuffer for 1/3 of the price and draft another one early.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

Those dt replacements are nonsense. That's why I laugh at the don't pay osa crowd. The alternatives are always silly. People complain about osa sacks and onzerikes career high is 1.5 lol just stop it man.

You don’t even understand the issue. People don’t complain about Osa’s lack of sacks they complain about our DTs getting blown off the ball and getting run over. His run grade is bad, man!

 

[Mr_437]

Delusional. The Joneses don't spend money on DTs and penny pinch on defense as a whole. If Osa walks there will not be a proper replacement. All these suggestions for FAs, stop it, lower your standards....this is not Washington, Philly, or other teams. You poo poo signing a DT, and cry about stopping the run, but then will justify signing a 15-20M dollar WR2.

 

[nate dizzle]

I don't think the issue is money...or finding it. The issue is should you even invest in Osa 20 million a year. And that's a different question. I hear about how everyone says he's good yet our rush defense sucks. Now its not his fault but I have a hard time hyping up anyone on this interior who are responsible for our rush defense. Mazi gets all the criticism but its more than him.

We pay premium dollars for mid players around here in case you haven't noticed.