Blogging The Boys
Mazi Smith is the only known entity signed to play DT for the Cowboys in 2025. That’s a problem.
While they have plenty of work to do across the roster this offseason, the Dallas Cowboys will need to give defensive tackle a sizeable amount of attention. Arguably their top 2025 free agent comes from the position, and others with expiring contracts would wipe out its depth without good replacements. We’ll talk about the big men in the middle of the defense in this offseason preview.
Earnest Brown
While he’s not as well-known a name around the NFL as the likes of Zack Martin, DeMarcus Lawrence, Eric Kendricks, or even Linval Joseph at his own position, Osa Odighizuwa is Dallas’ premier free agent this year. Unlike the now-retired Martin or those veterans, Odighizuwa is just beginning his NFL prime as his rookie deal expires. With career highs across the board in 2024, and having never missed a game in his four seasons, Odighizuwa approaches free agency with momentum and an assumed strong market for his services.
Because he hasn’t yet been recognized as an All-Pro or Pro Bowler, Odighizuwa’s stock isn’t as high as it could be. It’s also why the Cowboys might not want to use the franchise tag, estimated at around $24-$25 million for DTs this year, to keep him. Dallas would likely pursue a long-term deal that allows for much more maneuvering of the salary cap hits, assuming they’re going to try to bring him back at all.
Mentioned earlier, Linval Joseph and Carlos Watkins are also free agents this March. They were the core depth behind Odighizuwa and Mazi Smith last year and their departures would only exacerbate DT as an offseason concern. Joseph feels unlikely to return given Mike Zimmer’s exit, who was a key reason he signed last year. Watkins, for whom 2024 was actually his second stop in Dallas, could be back on a minimal deal.
Right now, Smith is the only real asset signed up for next season. That’s a loaded statement given his debatable value, having yet to show up as a former first-round pick. This is just his third season, though, so there’s still plenty of room for hope in his development. This will also be his third defensive coordinator and DL coach in as many years, though, so that could stunt growth.
The other DTs under contract are all little-known project players. Justin Rogers was a seventh-round pick last year who signed with the Bengals practice squad after Dallas released him in August. The Cowboys poached him last December to get him back in the family. Denzel Daxon spent last year on Dallas’ practice squad as an undrafted rookie. Earnest Brown was a 2021 fifth-round pick who’s bounced around the league and was just added to Dallas’ roster last month.
If the Cowboys are going to do...
