Jerry Jones spent the offseason remaking the Cowboys’ defense, but one of his boldest moves is already drawing heat.
The move in question was Dallas sending defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for the No. 92 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. It was a deal that gave the Cowboys more draft capital and some salary cap breathing room, but ESPN analyst Seth Walder wasn’t convinced Dallas chose the right lineman to move.
Walder’s case was straightforward: Odighizuwa is younger, cheaper than Kenny Clark and, in his view, has played at a higher level in recent seasons. He also suggested there may have been some hesitation to move Clark because he came to Dallas in the Micah Parsons trade, which could have made another transaction involving the veteran harder to sell publicly.
For the Cowboys, though, this was never just about swapping one tackle for another. The team went into the offseason with three interior defensive linemen carrying salaries around $20 million a year, a costly setup for one position group. Dealing Odighizuwa trimmed that financial load and added another selection in the top 100 of the draft.
It also clears a path for younger players to earn more snaps. Otito Ogbonnia, Jay Toia and Jonathan Bullard could all be in line for bigger roles behind Clark and Quinnen Williams as defensive coordinator Christian Parker continues to reshape the defense. Dallas is also banking on Clark rediscovering the Pro Bowl form he showed during his years with the Green Bay Packers after spending a full offseason with the Cowboys.
The verdict on Jones’ decision won’t come until the 2026 season plays out. If Clark stabilizes the middle of the defense and the extra pick pays off, the trade will look a lot smarter. If Odighizuwa shines in San Francisco and Dallas has trouble holding up inside, the questions around Jones’ call will only get louder.
In Other News...
Cowboys May Already Regret One Offensive Line Depth Decision
The Cowboys decision not to tender Brock Hoffman looked like a routine depth move at the time, but it has taken on a different feel with the interior line picture shifting again. Hoffman had quietly given Dallas useful flexibility as a backup center and guard, the kind of insurance policy teams tend to miss only after it is gone.
Now the concern is less about what Hoffman was then and more about what Dallas has left behind him. With the lines depth chart already thinned, the Cowboys are leaning more heavily on T.J. Bass behind Cooper Beebe, and Hoffmans ability to handle multiple interior spots makes the choice to move on from him look increasingly questionable. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Still Have One Line Problem That Could Haunt 2026
The Cowboys spent the offseason reshaping parts of their defense, moving on from Matt Eberflus, bringing in Christian Parker and adding new pieces around that side of the ball. But for all the attention on those changes, the more uneasy question may still be up front on offense, where the tackle spots look awfully familiar and awfully unsettled heading toward the next season.
Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele are still the names most likely to open at tackle, even though neither has given Dallas much reason to feel settled there in recent years. The team did add Drew Shelton as a developmental option, but he is not viewed as someone who can push for a starting job right away, which leaves the Cowboys with more hope than competition at a position group that could end up mattering just as much as any defensive overhaul. [Read more 🡒]