The Dallas Cowboys made one of the biggest moves of the trade deadline. Jerry Jones honored his word and made a run at New York Jets star DT Quinnen Williams. They had to pay a steep price, but it was definitely worth it.
That's great news for defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, but it also puts plenty of pressure on the defensive line. As such, veteran DT Osa Odighizuwa will have to take a huge step back for the remainder of the season.
The Cowboys Must Move on From Osa Odighizuwa
The Cowboys acquired Kenny Clark from the Green Bay Packers in the trade that sent Micah Parsons to Lambeau Field. He has struggled in recent weeks, but he's always been a stud against the run, so his job should be safe by now.
That's not the case with Osa Odighizuwa. Despite playing the second-most snaps among defensive tackles on the team and starting all nine games, the five-year veteran has left plenty to be desired this season.
Odighizuwa has a mediocre 60.4 Pro Football Focus grade. While he's played 377 defensive snaps, he has just 25 tackles, three tackles for loss, nine QB hits, and one sack. It cannot be forgotten that the Cowboys are giving up the third-most rushing yards per game (143.0), so clearly, things aren't going as planned.
Of course, this isn't much of a hot take, as the Cowboys traded for Williams to pair him with Clark along the interior of the defensive line. Nevertheless, we're not advocating for Odighizuwa to be benched; there's no reason to keep playing him at all.
He's signed through the 2028 season and still has $60 million left in his contract, so why risk injury when they can plainly try to trade him in the offseason? If they need someone to rotate in, they can always rely on Solomon Thomas, who has provided them with the same type of production at a much cheaper price.
Despite playing 102 fewer snaps, Thomas has a 62.8 Pro Football Focus grade with eleven run stops, four more than Odighizuwa. He's done a better job of shutting down the interior, and while it's not like the bar was particularly high, he should be on the field more often.
The Cowboys clearly believe they have a shot at contention despite their 3-5-1 record. That might be the case, but they need to get the best players on the field, regardless of how much money they're making.