While the Cowboys’ defensive end group takes up a large portion of salary cap space, the opposite can be said of the big boys inside. With a new defensive coordinator, the importance of having guys who can anchor and occupy both players and space is invaluable.
Dallas ranked 27th in the league in ESPN’s run-stop-win-rate, which takes several things into account such as disrupting the running lane, pushing blockers backwards, or recording a tackle within three yards of the line of scrimmage. The nuances of the game make it hard to calculate no matter how much we compartmentalize. A large collection of data is a good indicator that a player is executing his instructions but without knowing the called assignment, an interpretation can be tough. No matter how the team gauges prospects, bodies are needed at the position.
Mazi Smith | Age: 22 | Cap Hit: $3,016,976 – 1.2% | UFA: 2027
Cowboys first-round pick Mazi Smith didn’t make an immediate impact this season which had many calling into question the validity of his selection. Dallas has been spoiled by so many first-round draft success stories that the fan base turning on the young kid so early may be more about their impatience than his projected ceiling. Sometimes it takes defensive tackles time to adjust.
With his contract never taking up more than 1.5% of the cap in his first four years, developing rather than replacing should be the priority. Dallas has historically and will likely continue to be patient with first-round picks who don’t come out of the gates swinging. They will however admit to their mistake and move on like they did with fellow Michigan alum and 2017 first-round pick Taco Charlton.
While listed numbers can sometimes be inaccurate, to the naked eye, it appeared as if Smith lost a substantial amount of weight before and during the season.
His sporadic numbers make it hard to judge if his weight had anything to do with playing time but the final weeks revealed something interesting. Dallas lined up on defense for 1,070 plays in the regular season and Smith accounted for 28.7% of those or 308 snaps. In his last three games, he only logged 36 plays on defense including a season-low four snaps in the wildcard loss to Green Bay. A different direction from a new voice will be critical to Smith’s future.
Osa Odigizuwa | Age: 25 | Cap Hit: $1,618,335 – 0.7% | UFA: 2025
Interior defensive lineman Osa Odigizuwa was part of the 2021 draft class alongside pass-rushing superstar Micah Parsons. Like Parsons, the third-round pick is also eligible for a contract extension. With very few cap dollars allocated to the position group, extending him may be one of those deals that surprises everyone because of the lack of chatter beforehand. No matter the why, the Cowboys needs more players like him.
Dallas must be careful moving forward with extensions. Where they have gotten in trouble is on some mid-tier contracts. Wideout Michael Gallup and tackle Terence Steele received extensions coming off injuries and questions remain about their long-term future. Their predecessors, receiver Amari Cooper and tackle La’el Collins, both ate up cap space upon their departures.
The case for extending Odighizuwa remains strong. He gave the team 43 pressures; a combination of sacks, quarterback hits and hurries.He ranked fourth amongst interior linemen in pass rush win rate behind the Rams Aaron Donald, the Chiefs Chris Jones, and the Giants Dexter Lawrence. His 635 snaps on defense were second only to Micah Parsons amongst the defensive linemen.
That usage marks three straight years in which he has played more than 600 defensive plays in a season. He also lined up for 69 special teams snaps in 2023.
Viliami Fehoko Age: 24 Cap Hit: $1,087,689 – 0.4% UDFA: 2027
Defensive Tackle Recap
Draft Capital Spent:
1st round (2023), 3rd round (2021), 4th round (2023)
Identifying position groups that need an infusion of talent is one thing, finding a way to pay them is another. From the quarterbacks to defensive ends, evenly distributing cap space across so many positions requires a real plan. The three defensive tackles on the roster will combine for $5.7 million which is 2.3% of the cap.
The front office must give more attention to the interior defensive line or Cowboys fans will have another year to talk/hear about how poor their defense is against the run. The team spent draft capital in 2021 and 2023 at the position yet that is all that remains from the group. Reserve contracts aside, Dallas leads the league with nine undrafted free agents (10 depending on WR/KR Kavonte Turpin) yet the team’s reluctance to try their hand at the initial undrafted market for this position remains at zero during that time frame.
Dallas rolled over $10.8 million from last season yet remains roughly $14.2 million over the projected salary cap. With obvious candidates in the final year of their contracts, extensions among their highest-paid players limit the amount of money the team can free up without adding void years. Rumors about extending franchise quarterback Dak Prescott would be the biggest way to create the kind of space to not only keep players like Odigizuwa around but also provide him with support that keeps him fresh for a longer period of time.
