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FRISCO, TX — Over the course of the last several seasons, the Dallas Cowboys have seen an emergence of talented defensive linemen, including on the interior of their defensive line, but it remains a position the organization will need to give energy to, yet again,heading into this offseason.
Mazi Smith has taken steps forward under the tutelage of Mike Zimmer, but Zimmer isn't under contract right now and that means his future is in question, and he's not the only one that applies to — Osa Odighizuwa headlining the list of looming Cowboys’ unrestricted free agents.
And, with that, let's take a look at what's next for the interior defensive line in Dallas.
Past: Not entirely different from their slate of historic defensive ends, the Cowboys have a list of memorable interior defensive lineman that have also helped set the standard for what the position should be. Flex players mostly aside, some of the players who were more often dedicated to conquering opposing quarterbacks and rushing attacks include names like Randy "The Manster" White and Russell Maryland — White going on to don a gold jacket.
Maryland hasn't been immortalized in Canton, but that takes nothing away from his résumé with the Cowboys, one that includes three Super Bowl rings.
It's a tall task to live up to such expectations, and especially if I were to toss in "Mr. Cowboy' himself, Bob Lilly, who began his career as an edge rusher before moving inside for the remainder of it. And then there's Jethro Pugh and Jeremiah "Jay" Ratliff, who left their respective footprint on the organization as well.
Stacking up against this lot is what's required to help the Cowboys get back to the Super Bowl.
Present: As noted in the defensive ends’ edition of “What’s Next?”, the injury bug had its way in Dallas, and that impacted the interior in more ways than one.
For starters, it moved Chauncey Golston to the edge. The added issue was that, without impact edge rushers, to varying degrees, Smith and Odighizuwa were tasked with leading a unit that, behind them, mostly struggled to put their stamps on games. Carlos Watkins' return helped a bit, but the trade for Jordan Phillips was an unmitigated disaster that ultimately led to his release, and Linval Joseph didn't consistently jump off of the film during games.
In the end, it was Odighizuwa carrying much of the load for the defensive interior, as has often been the case in his young NFL career, truly coming alive over the back half of the season.
Future: It doesn't exactly look great at the moment, that's for sure. Consider the possibility of losing an impact player like Odighizuwa to free agency, and the fact Smith is still developing as he enters his third year in the league and, by the way, you'll also have to add in the potential for Watkins to depart in free agency as well — costing you a rotational guy.
That would leave only Smith, Justin Rogers (younger than Smith) and an unproven veteran in Earnest Brown along the interior, mandating a full rebuild at the position. Rogers returned to Dallas (their 2024 seventh-round pick that was previously waived) and signed a futures deal alongside Brown, so both will be on the 90-man roster this offseason.
There's literally no one else to speak of at the position at the moment, and that's telling of how things could quickly escalate to DEFCON 1.
Re-signing Odighizuwa has to be one of the highest priorities over the next several weeks, or deal with the potentially devastating consequences — if not.
