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FRISCO, TX — Now that the deal is done between the Dallas Cowboys and Osa Odighizuwa, it's time to watch to see what dominoes fall as free agency gets underway, and not only at the defensive tackle position with the possibility of adding depth on the interior of the defensive line, but also and especially at linebacker.
After all, Micah Parsons is an all-world pass rusher who, based on comments made by defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton and defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, will primarily be tasked with fetching the opposing quarterback and not often playing off the ball.
DeMarvion Overshown has … shown … the ability to be an All-Pro at the position, but his latest knee injury will cost him a large chunk of the 2025 season. That means someone will need to be paired with promising upstart Marist Liufau, who might have Pro Bowl potential in his own right.
One year following the retirement of Leighton Vander Esch, where might the Cowboys look for free agency reinforcements?
[FYI: *Be sure to check out the entire ‘What’s Next?*' series as a primer to "Open Market".]
What's Here:
Eric Kendricks: The former First-Team All-Pro linebacker was a stabilizing force for the Cowboys in 2024, and served as a sensational mentor to young talent like Marist Liufau and DeMarvion Overshown as well. Having poached him away from the 49ers in last year's free agency, the headline outside signing for Dallas, Kendricks deserves a second round with the same ask: play at a high level and stabilize a unit that will be without Overshown for a while; and his potential asking price of $7 million (per Spotrac) isn't entirely different from others I'll mention in a moment.
Darius Harris, Nick Vigil: Both were solid rotational pieces when called upon, though it was Vigil who left the biggest footprint on the 2024 season — especially as a special teamer (even if someone else forgot to not touch the ball after a blocked punt). Neither Harris nor Vigil would cost much, think veteran minimum, and let's face it: the Cowboys need as much insurance at the linebacker position as they can possibly get.
What's Out There:
Note: These players will be unrestricted on March 13, barring a newly-signed deal with their incumbent team prior to that date.
Bobby Wagner: OK, let's try this one again, for a third time, shall we? I've pounded the table the last two years to no avail, Wagner's latest stretch of impressive play having come for Dan Quinn and the Commanders in 2024, a kick to my gut when realizing Quinn might've wanted him in the building when he coordinated the defense in Dallas. In any event, if Kendricks doesn't return, there is no better option and for a similar price point as well. A future Hall of Famer still operating at a high level, and for pay comparable to others who would love his resume, is a no-brainer to me.
Jamien Sherwood: The good news for the Cowboys is there isn't much to figure out as far as pricing goes for most of the players I'm mentioning on this list. Kendricks, Wagner and Greenlaw (see below) are all being valued at around $7 million annually, per Spotrac, so losing out on one still gives Dallas an opportunity to pivot to another impact linebacker for the same cost. Sherwood is on the younger end of the spectrum though, a 25-year-old who went from being a fifth-round pick of the Jets in 2021 to being the league's reigning tackles champion in 2024 and, wouldn't you know it, he did it for/with Aaron Whitecotton, the newest Cowboys' defensive line coach (hint, hint, wink, wink).
Dre Greenlaw: As mentioned, Greenlaw can potentially be had at a similar cost as Kendricks and Wagner, Sherwood as well, but there's something a bit different to account for when assessing Greenlaw and that's the fact he's dealt with major injury recently. He suffered a torn Achilles in the Super Bowl last January (2024) and wasn't cleared to return until mid-December when he played in two games before being shut down for the season. This makes him a riskier option, but maybe Nick Sorensen — 49ers defensive coordinator turned Cowboys' special teams coordinator — would influence Dallas to take a chance there.
Cost-Prohibitive: Zack Baun, Earnest Jones, Robert Spillane - Of course you love the names in this group, and for good reason. They've all proven they can change the course of an NFL game and Baun, as one example, was critical in helping to put the Eagles over the top in 2024. That said, each is projected to cost more than $10 million, and Jones could fly past $13 million, likely pricing them out of any equation that involves the Cowboys.
Honorable mention: Tyrel Dodson - If you're looking for a solid rotational guy, Dodson could do the job, but the $5 million projection is above my comfort level when you could pay less for possibly a similar impact elsewhere, e.g., Nick Vigil.
