FRISCO, TEXAS — The Dallas Cowboys just hit the reset button on their defensive interior. In a frantic 10-minute window at the official start of the 2026 NFL league year Wednesday, Dallas traded two veteran defensive tackles. The Cowboys shipped Osa Odighizuwa to the San Francisco 49ers for the No. 92 overall pick in the third round. Moments later, they dealt Solomon Thomas to the Tennessee Titans in a late-round pick swap.
Cap Casualties and Scheme Fits
Dallas built a defensive tackle room so crowded that someone had to pack their bags. After acquiring Pro Bowlers Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark, the Cowboys faced a massive salary cap crunch. Moving Odighizuwa clears exactly $4.75 million in space, getting Dallas strictly under the 2026 salary cap deadline.
New defensive coordinator Christian Parker is transitioning the Cowboys to a straight 3-4 front. Odighizuwa simply did not fit the physical profile to play a 4i defensive end. Despite signing a four-year, $80 million extension last year, the 27-year-old became expendable to Jerry Jones and the front office.
Grading the Blockbusters
CBS Sports analysts ripped into the Cowboys’ front office for the return on investment. Garrett Podell handed Dallas a C-plus for the Odighizuwa trade. He argued Dallas acted out of financial desperation, letting a durable, highly productive player walk in his prime just to reset their books.
San Francisco walked away with a B-plus. The 49ers fielded an abysmal pass rush in 2025, recording a league-low 20 total sacks. Odighizuwa brings immediate heat. He racked up 112 quarterback pressures over the last two seasons. Only Zach Allen and Chris Jones posted higher numbers among defensive tackles since 2024.
The Solomon Thomas deal barely registered on the radar. CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani gave Dallas a C. The Cowboys sent Thomas and the No. 225 overall pick to Tennessee for the No. 218 overall pick. Thomas logged just 27 tackles and zero sacks in 16 games last season. He now reunites with Titans head coach Robert Saleh, who previously coached him during a career-best stretch in New York.
“I just can’t wait to go to work and show the Cowboys Nation what I’m all about.”
— Rashan Gary, Cowboys Defensive End (speaking Wednesday on joining the newly reshaped Dallas defensive line)
Playoff Implications / What’s Next
The 49ers just solved their biggest defensive deficiency. Plugging Odighizuwa into the middle of their defensive line instantly elevates their pass rush, making San Francisco a brutal matchup in the NFC West. For Dallas, this was a necessary financial retreat. Reclaiming the third-round pick they lost in last year’s George Pickens trade gives them ammunition to draft a true 3-4 nose tackle in April. The Cowboys are gambling that a heavy rotation of Williams, Clark, and new edge rusher Rashan Gary will mask the loss of Odighizuwa’s elite interior pressure.
