His four seasons in Dallas have seen Cowboys defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa do pretty much just what the team had hoped he’d do when he was drafted in the third round out of UCLA. He’s played in just about every game possible and though he started slow, he has steadily improved and now ranks among the best pass rushers from his position in the league.
According to Pro Football Focus, Odighizuwa rated a grade of 46.9 as a rookie, which ranked 89th out of 108 linemen. In his second year, he was a 68.2, which was 41st our of 127. Last year, he broke into the Top 20, with a 77.0 grade, which ranked 19th. This year, he is 24th overall, but has a pass-rush grade of 79.0, which is eighth in the NFL.
For a Cowboys team that has resisted paying its defensive linemen–and has paid a price for that–Odighizuwa is a good candidate for a long-term contract, as he is set to hit free agency after this season unless Dallas locks him up to an extension.
Osa Odighizuwa Has Been Playing His Best Lately
At the Cowboys analysis site Blogging the Boys, though, they’re afraid that Dallas won’t mend its ways on how it deals with defensive linemen, and that could mean that Odighizuwa is playing his last season with the Cowboys.
Odighizuwa is playing his best football down the stretch of the season, and putting out some good tape for opposing teams looking for help at the position. And there are many.
Writes BtB: “With what he’s done this season, and the steady progression in his play, Odighizuwa is possibly looking at commanding a deal around $5 to $7 million annually. If he finishes strong in the last three games, he could be looking at double-digit numbers per year. As good as it is for him, it may be the opposite for Dallas.”
Cowboys Salary Cap Will Be an Issue, Again
The Cowboys have an expensive top part of the roster already, with Dak Prescott at four years, $240 million, CeeDee Lamb at four years, $136 million and edge rusher Micah Parsons likely to sign on the $35 million per year range. The Cowboys could be shelling out half their salary cap to those three.
That will make it tough to work out sensible deals for the other 50 players, especially if Odighizuwa does not agree to an extension and can put his services out to the highest bidder. At just 26 years old, he certainly will attract bidders.
Odighizuwa has already set a career high with 22 quarterback hits this year (he had 35 in three seasons before this) and is likely to set a new career high in sacks (he has 4.0 now). He’s on an upswing, but the Cowboys still probably will let him walk.
“If Odighizuwa is to hit the market, teams will come calling …” BtB notes. “He’s solid against the run, and he helps keep linebackers clean, and teams that see themselves as contenders will be willing to pay him for those services and pay him well.
“It would behoove the Cowboys to value defensive tackles as a high priority for once during the offseason and bring Odighizuwa back. However, with the way Dallas handles contracts, don’t be surprised if the 2024 campaign is his last with the Cowboys.”
