Getty The Cowboys and Mike McCarthy could add DE Emmanuel Ogbah.
The Dallas Cowboys could be an ideal landing spot for a Super Bowl champion following his release.
As noted by CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani, he considers the Cowboys to be one of three “potential” landing spots for defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah.
The Miami Dolphins plan on releasing Ogbah as they look to shed salary cap space heading into the offseason. Ogbah had signed a four-year, $65 million contract extension during the 2022 offseason after posting back-to-back nine-sack seasons in his first two years in Miami.
“The Cowboys have several free agents on the defensive line, including Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler Jr., Johnathan Hankins and Neville Gallimore,” writes Dajani. “Dallas is undergoing a change on the defensive side of the ball with Dan Quinn now in Washington, but new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer is still going to want to bring in experienced players who can get after the quarterback.”
Why Cowboys Could Sign Emmanuel Ogbah
Ogbah had began his career as a starter in Miami after winning a Super Bowl as a key reserve of the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2019 season. Ogbah started 23 of his first 33 games with the Dolphins. However, he has started just four of his 24 appearances since, posting just 6.5 sacks in comparison to the 18 sacks he posted during the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
A lot of that has to do with a major dip in playing time. After playing in 77% of the defensive snaps during the 2020 season and 67% of the snaps during the 2021 season, Ogbah played just 56% of the snaps in 2022 and 25% of the snaps this past season.
The addition of Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips in recent seasons had relegated Ogbah to the bench in recent seasons.
However, according to Pro Football Focus, the 30-year-old still remains a productive pass-rushing threat. Ogbah posted a 67.1 pass-rushing grade last season, the second-highest grade of his eight-year NFL career.
There’s little doubt that Ogbah could still be productive in a pass-rushing role for a contending team. And considering he’ll still earn $4 million from the Dolphins following his release, he’ll likely consider taking a lesser salary to play for a contending team such as the Cowboys.
Considering the Cowboys have their own cap issues entering the offseason — they’re over the cap by $3.2 million, ranked 26th in the NFL — with a number of free agents from the defensive line, it wouldn’t hurt to add a veteran such as Ogbah.
The former 32nd overall pick holds career totals of 42.5 sacks, 268 tackles and 101 quarterback hits in 107 games and 71 starts.
Cowboys Aren’t Placing Franchise Tag on Tony Pollard
It looks like the Cowboys aren’t franchise tagging Tony Pollard for a second consecutive season.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Cowboys will not place the $12.1 million franchise tag on Pollard. Pollard played under the $10.1 million franchise tag last season.
“The Cowboys are also not expected to tag free-agent-to-be running back Tony Pollard for the same $12,109,200, according to sources,” writes Schefter.
The 26-year-old Pollard completed his first full season as a starting back and proved that he can handle the load. Not only did Pollard start all 17 games, he ranked sixth in the league in total touches (307). However, his efficiency was underwhelming as his yards per carry dropped from 5.2 in 2022 to just 4.0 in 2023.
With that being said, if Pollard is willing to sign at a decent rate — Spotrac estimates his market value to be $6.5 million per year — then the door is open for him to return to Dallas.