While in the midst of a relatively eventful–if not always productive–NFL free agency period, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones popped up at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday evening in Arlington, Texas, in advance of the Java House Grand Prix, which will be held this weekend. He was not, unfortunately, asked about his promise to bust the team’s budget in order to get better this offseason, a promise which has floated this week like a lead balloon, but he was asked about the most significant move the team made on Wednesday, trading away defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa.
The Cowboys, as they reformulate their defensive to a 3-4 look, jettisoned both Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas in trades this week. Both players are suited to play tackle in a 4-3 system, which allows for lighter defensive linemen, but new defensive coordinator Christian Parker needs beefy guys in the middle to run his defense.
So Odighizuwa was sent off to the 49ers for a third-round pick, and Thomas is headed to Tennessee for a seventh-round swap. And Jones notes, the Cowboys now can spend some of the money owed to Odighizuwa to fix up the rest of the defense.
Cowboys Dumped Osa Odighizuwa’s Contract
Indeed, Odighizuwa signed a four-year, $80 million contract last offseason, a deal the Cowboys felt good about. He was paid $22.5 million by the Cowboys last year, and the remainder of the contract–which is mostly team options after this season–will go to San Francisco.
So the Cowboys now have more space to use in free agency.
Said Jones, via the Forth Worth Star-Telegram: “Very tough to some degree, he has such high character. He’s done such an amazing job in his career. [Some might say] well, aren’t you going the wrong way when people of his quality, his caliber, aren’t on the team? But that’s the reason we were able to get what we thought was a really beneficial result for the team. We got [a third-round draft pick] that’ll be very helpful to us, and … let’s just put those resources that we’re going to spend there [at] some other spots we need help.”
GettyCowboys owner Jerry Jones
Cowboys Timing Was not Great
That would have been a much more exciting notion for the Cowboys and the team’s fans if the team had made the Odighizuwa trade a week ago, then use those “resources” to sign, say, a linebacker. The Cowboys have more resources now, but the top talent on the free-agent market is all gone at this point.
The Cowboys added pass-rusher Rashan Gary in a trade this week, then added safeties Jalen Thompson and PJ Locke. They made a one-year deal, too, with defensive lineman Otito Ogbonnia. Those are improvements, but for a defense that was rated the worst in the league last year, more was expected.
Jerry Jones: ‘We Have Nowhere to Go But Up’
Jones noted that the Cowboys still have the NFL draft ahead, which will feature two first-rounders, No. 12 and 20. The defense is bound to get better.
”We certainly have moved in really both scheme, as well as players … by the time we’re through with the draft and these guys that we’re signing, these guys that we’re going to draft, they’re going to be on that field, and we think we’ve got the coaches that can get the young ones out and ready to play,” Jones said.
“So I feel very, very good about it. We have nowhere but up to go on defense. It’s not anyone’s fault at all, but we’re going to almost assuredly be much better, and I think we are betting on us improving on offense. That ought to get us with a better feeling.”
Jerry Jones Hints Cowboys Will Spend More After Osa Odighizuwa Trade