The Dallas Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, California, will begin on July 25. A little more than three weeks from now, and Cowboys Nation is ecstatic. The media consistently manages to create news pieces that mostly center around the Cowboys, even if there isn’t anything to write about in the cycle about the Cowboys or any other team.
Furthermore, the headlines are usually not very nice.”Is Micah Parsons’ podcast more important to him than football?” is one example of a headline. or “An extension has not been signed by Dak Prescott.” Is there trouble in Dallas?..
For those of us who pay close attention to the Cowboys, 99 percent of the headlines from the four-letter media networks are clickbait, designed to garner views rather than provide meaningful football analysis.
The contract negotiations between quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, and the reason they haven’t signed extensions yet, are their most recent problem that has blown out of control. Even EDGE Micah Parsons, who recently became open to a new contract, was thrown in there.
What if the next agreement isn’t for one of the three stated above? Certainly, the Cowboys brass is working hard with their representatives to get something done before the season begins.
Dallas has a history of giving players who they believe are headed for success new contracts before it’s anticipated, hoping to tie them down at a lower cost before they prove themselves worthy of a bigger deal.
They may be searching for a few guys to complete that task before the season begins. They have previously done this with players like OL La’el Collins and LB Jaylon Smith. Let’s examine two youthful qualifiers.
Since Jay Ratliff’s days and possibly even before, the Cowboys have been infamous for not having a true impact player at defensive tackle at the 3-technique position.
This absence may even extend back to La’Roi Glover. While not quite as good as those two Cowboys greats, Odighizuwa has improved in each of his first three seasons. In the last year of his rookie contract, he is a rising star who makes a strong case for an extension.
Odighizuwa has experienced gradual increases in tackles, tackles for loss, assisted tackles, and quarterback hits over his first three seasons. Those numbers are critical for a club that struggles to stop the run.
DT Osa Odighizuwa
Odighizuwa has very little experience behind him and is at the top of the depth chart. Mazi Smith, a second-year player, will transition more toward a 1-technique, making Osa the team’s lone real 3-technique defensive tackle.
In order to cover for the starters, players like Chauncey Golston and Viliami “Junior” Fehoko can play both defensive ends and small tackle positions.
However, the Cowboys have no backup plan if Osa declares for free agency other than signing a costly free agent or selecting a youngster from the 2025 NFL Draft.
Before the season begins, it wouldn’t surprise me if Osa Odighizuwa signed an extension.
S Juanyeh ThomasA
n extension for S Juanyeh Thomas wouldn’t be a priority for the Cowboys, but it would be a smart move.
Thomas signed a 2-year contract as an undrafted free agent from Georgia Tech University after the 2023 NFL Draft. Then DC Dan Quinn and current Defensive Backs Coach Al Harris saw play-making ability from Juanyeh in college.
When given the opportunity, Juanyeh has delivered. He snagged the first interception of the season in 2023 from Jacksonville Jaguars’ first-string QB Trevor Lawrence during a preseason game at AT&T Stadium.
He played well enough throughout the rest of the training camp and preseason to earn a spot on the 53-man roster, appearing in 16 regular season games. Thomas even started one game in place of an ill Malik Hooker.
Juanyeh displays versatility that none of the other safeties on the team possess. He can cover deep or defend the run.
He can cover tight ends or shadow wide receivers in the slot. Thomas possesses the toughness that has so often been lacking from this team.
Malik Hooker, the current starter at free safety, still has three years left on his contract but the Cowboys have an out after this upcoming season.
If Juanyeh ends the season as the more effective safety, Hooker could be released and the Cowboys would save almost $4 million against the 2025 salary cap.
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