The Dallas Cowboys will forestall one in all their high defensive gamers from hitting the open market this offseason.
Defensive sort out Osa Odighizuwa and the Cowboys have agreed to a four-year, $80 million deal, FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz reported. The deal contains $52 million in assured cash.
Odighizuwa, 26, was set to turn out to be a free agent when the brand new league 12 months begins in March and was seen as a potential franchise tag candidate. He was ranked the Twelfth-best free agent general and second-best defensive sort out in FOX Sports’ top 100 NFL free agent rankings.
Odighizuwa turned a full-time starter for the Cowboys quickly after they chose him within the third spherical of the 2021 NFL Draft. He is began each recreation for Dallas up to now three seasons, recording at the least 40 whole tackles and three sacks annually. He posted profession highs in whole tackles (47) and sacks (4.5) in 2024, including a compelled fumble.
Past the field rating, a couple of superior metrics had Odighizuwa as among the best defensive tackles in soccer final season. His 60 pressures have been the third-most on the place and his 30 run stops have been the Twelfth-most amongst inside defensive linemen, per Professional Soccer Focus. He was additionally Twelfth amongst defensive tackles in pass-rush win charge (11%), based on ESPN.
Odighizuwa was one of many lone vivid spots for the Cowboys protection in 2024. Dallas’ defensive unit ranked twenty eighth in whole protection and thirty first in scoring protection final season, struggling en path to a 7-10 season. Because of this, head coach Mike McCarthy was let go and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer was not retained after only one season. Former Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus has been employed as defensive coordinator beneath first-time head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
With Odighizuwa’s contract scenario settled, consideration turns to Micah Parsons. The star pass-rusher is getting into the ultimate 12 months of his rookie deal and has expressed a need to obtain an extension this offseason. Such a deal would possible make Parsons one of many highest-paid defensive gamers, if not the very best, in NFL historical past.
The Cowboys even have a handful of different notable free brokers this offseason, with edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence, working again Rico Dowdle, edge rusher Chauncey Golston, linebacker Eric Kendricks and quarterback Cooper Rush amongst them.
Previous to Odighizuwa’s new deal, the Cowboys solely had $2.4 million in cap area, per OverTheCap.com.
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