Last season, the Dallas Cowboys stunned the NFL world when Jerry Jones decided to trade Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. The deal brought valuable draft capital to Dallas, but the absence of Parsons quickly became obvious throughout the 2025–26 campaign. The defense simply did not have the same bite on the edge. Now, with free agency underway, Jones is being urged to consider an $11.3 million option to help fill that massive void.

“Trading Micah Parsons had a devastating impact on the Cowboys’ defense,” Fox Sports reporter Greg Auman and his team shared in their article. “Jadeveon Clowney and Dante Fowler are also set to hit free agency. With at least 7.5 sacks in back-to-back seasons, [Odafe] Oweh would give new Dallas defensive coordinator Christian Parker some juice on the edge.”

Odafe Oweh joined the league when the Baltimore Ravens drafted him in the first round in 2021 to a four-year, $11.3 million deal. He remained in Baltimore through the first five games of the 2025 season before landing with the Los Angeles Chargers for the remainder of the year in the final season of that contract. Interestingly, he made an immediate impact there, recording a sack in his very first game and finishing the season with 7.5 sacks.

Because of that production, analysts believe Oweh’s best football may still be ahead of him. In fact, The Athletic’s 2026 free agency countdown highlighted his development in detail.

They wrote that he is “an ascending player who started to show more variety in his pass-rush arsenal after joining the Chargers, including an inside spin move that is a changeup off his cross-chop to the edge. The change of scenery created a robust market for Oweh, as his traits coalesced into consistent production.”

That kind of growth is exactly what Dallas needs right now. However, there is still one major hurdle standing in the way, as the Cowboys are not known for aggressive spending during free agency.

“Money could be a concern for the Cowboys, who are not typically major players in free agency, but restructuring some contracts could give the team some financial flexibility to pursue a higher-ticket free agent like Oweh,” FOX Sports also reported.

Even so, the front office has already started making financial adjustments. The team recently moved below the $301.2 million salary cap for the 2026 season by restructuring contracts for quarterback Dak Prescott, left tackle Tyler Smith, and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. As a result, the Cowboys now hold roughly $9.7 million in functional cap room for the upcoming season.

So the situation is slowly lining up for a potential move, as the Cowboys still need someone who can replicate the impact Micah Parsons once had on their defense. Whether Jerry Jones actually pursues Oweh remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: they cannot afford to ignore that hole any longer.

Jerry Jones’ Micah Parsons trade was a disaster for the Cowboys

The moment Jerry Jones sent Micah Parsons out of Dallas just days before the season began, the Cowboys lost the heartbeat of their pass rush. Soon after, the problem showed up, and they finished the year with only 35 sacks, their lowest total since the 2020 season when they recorded 31 in the final year of the 16-game schedule.

As the season continued, the situation became even more alarming. For the first time in franchise history, the Cowboys gave up more than 30 points per game, finishing at 30.1 while allowing a franchise record of 511 total points.

Notably, this marked the seventh time since Jerry Jones took over in 1989 that the defense surrendered at least 400 points.

Meanwhile, the numbers kept getting worse. Opponents crossed the 30-point mark nine different times during the season. Even more concerning, Dallas allowed either a touchdown or a field goal on 91 of 177 drives. They also gave up 377 yards per game, which ranked as the third-worst mark in the entire league. On top of that, the defense produced just 12 takeaways, the lowest total since 2015.

Of course, Jones did try to fix the problem during the season. The trade for Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams briefly steadied the unit during a three-game winning streak. However, that momentum did not last once the schedule toughened. Dallas also acquired linebacker Logan Wilson from Cincinnati, but he wasn’t the answer.

At the same time, injuries and internal tension made things even more complicated. Former Pro Bowl cornerbacks Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland rarely shared the field. Bland’s season ended early after a foot injury required surgery. Diggs also voiced frustration with Matt Eberflus’ defensive scheme because he preferred more man coverage. Eventually, injuries limited him as well before Dallas waived him on Dec. 30.

As a result, Jones moved on from Matt Eberflus. Now looking ahead, the Cowboys hold two first-round selections in the upcoming draft, but they do not have second- or third-round picks because of trades for Quinnen Williams and George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Because of that situation, Jerry Jones will likely need to attack free agency and make aggressive moves to repair the defensive holes as quickly as possible.