FRISCO, Texas — Starting off the week with a bang was the Dallas Cowboys, first inking Osa Odighizuwa to a new four-year deal, sidestepping the franchise tag like a landmine in the process, then quickly pivoting to restructuring CeeDee Lamb's contract to grab $20 million in savings ahead of the start of free agency on March 12.
They also kept themselves busy by pulling triggers that will keep not one, but all three of their exclusive rights free agents — Juanyeh Thomas, Brock Hoffman and Tyrus Wheat — all under contract and in Dallas through the 2025 season.
For those who are unaware of the difference between an exclusive rights free agent and an unrestricted free agent, a quick bit of science to clear it up for you:
ERFAs don't have nearly the freedom to negotiate with other teams as do restricted free agents (RFAs) and the grail of the open market, unrestricted free agents (UFAs), so Hoffman, Wheat and Thomas didn't have a lot of options, if any, if the Cowboys wanted to keep them around.
An ERFA can not, under any circumstances, negotiate with another organization.
Seeing as Hoffman, Wheat and Thomas have all accrued less than two seasons in the NFL — accrual being determined by how many games they've spent on the active roster of a team — their rights are owned, yes, exclusively by the Cowboys.
That's if the front office provides a one-year tender/offer equal to the league minimum for that position. In other words, if they want all three of these players, just pay them the minimum and it's mission accomplished for the Cowboys.
As far as negotiating goes, there was none to be done here. Either the Cowboys wanted to retain them, or they didn't, but now that it's clear they do, all that was left to be done was the official signing of each contract — Hoffman inking his on Tuesday, while Thomas and Wheat followed suit on Wednesday.
Each will earn $1.03 million this coming season, per the Collective Bargaining Agreement, including Hoffman, who fell below the minimum of six games (to accrue a season) in his first season.
Hoffman and Thomas both have a shot at being future starters at their positions, offensive line and safety, respectively, and it would make zero sense to send them packing over a few pennies on the dollar that, in all, would be negligible against the salary cap. Wheat has himself become vital to special teams and can also step in at defensive end in a pinch, like say when the team is ravaged by injury, as it was in 2024.
Both Hoffman and Thomas joined the Cowboys in 2022, the former as a free agent after a short stay with the Cleveland Browns as a rookie while the latter entered the league as an undrafted free agent of Dallas' that spring. Hoffman was available for three games but no starts that season, while Thomas clawed away on the practice squad the entire season before being rewarded with playing time in 2023.
Wheat, an undrafted free agent of the Cowboys in 2023, was active for 12 games as a rookie, his heavy lifting being done on the special teams side of the ball.
Both Hoffman and Thomas made a name for themselves last season when Hoffman stepped in for an injured Zack Martin and played exceptionally well — Thomas helping to upset the Commanders on the road with a kick return in one of the wildest finishes in NFL history.
It was a wise move by the Cowboys to keep all three on the roster, and for pennies on the dollar.
