“Absolutely, we underachieved this season,” is what Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had to say after they missed the playoffs, the fourth time in seven years. Even though their offense was great, their defense pulled them down. They were last in opponents per game, 30th in opponent yards per game, and last in opponent passing yards per game. Jones was clear this time; the strategy was all about them going all in. About busting the budget. And the start is already here. 

With NFL free agency approaching, the Cowboys’ front office has now confirmed two notable trades. These are designed to add draft capital while also easing their tight cap situation.

“For the second and third time in a three-day span, the Dallas Cowboys have struck a deal to trade with another team, but this time, they’re sending players out of North Texas, namely, defensive tackles Osa Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas,” the Cowboys’ website confirmed.

As confirmed by the Cowboys, the Dallas front office is trading defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa to the San Francisco 49ers for a third-round pick (92nd overall) in the 2026 NFL Draft. After being drafted in the third round of the 2021 draft, Odighizuwa grew into a reliable defensive piece for America’s Team. He’s appeared in 84 games (76 starts) for the Cowboys with 216 tackles and 17 sacks while being named one of the defensive captains last season.

That’s why the trade raised eyebrows around the league. Plus, Jerry Jones and Co. even extended the 27-year-old with a massive four-year, $80 million contract in March 2025. However, after a season where he put up 44 total tackles (16 solo), 3.5 sacks, and 23 quarterback hits, the franchise has decided to move on from the promising defensive tackle.

On the other hand, Solomon Thomas has been traded to the Tennessee Titans for a 2026 seventh-round swap, marking his reunion with head coach Robert Saleh. The Titans’ head coach was the 49ers’ defensive coordinator when they selected Thomas with the No. 3 pick in the 2017 NFL draft. Thomas also played for Saleh at the New York Jets. The 30-year-old was a rotational piece on the Cowboys’ defense in 2025, starting twice and recording 27 tackles and 1 pass deflection in 16 games.

Beyond adding draft picks, the trades also provide crucial financial relief. The Cowboys will save $7.25 million in salary cap space. The Osa Odighizuwa deal saved $4.75 million while adding $16 million in dead money, whereas the trade for Solomon Thomas led to $2.5 million in savings with $750,000 in dead money. However, these aren’t the only moves done by Jerry Jones to better their cap space.

The Dallas front office managed to get under the $301.2 million salary cap by restructuring the contracts of quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, and left guard Tyler Smith, as per ESPN. The Cowboys were around $55 million over the cap, but the restructuring has cleared close to $66 million in space on March 4. Then, the franchise also restructured Clark’s deal and turned his $11 million roster bonus into a signing bonus. This maneuver freed up close to $9 million toward the salary cap.

With these moves, Jerry Jones and Co. can also extend key players like wide receiver George Pickens, who had a career year with 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and 9 touchdowns across 17 games.

While the Cowboys have moved on from key defensive pieces to improve their salary-cap situation, America’s Team has also completed significant deals to strengthen that side of the ball this offseason.

Cowboys complete key defensive deals after disappointing 2025

With the defense being the biggest area for improvement ahead of the 2026 season, Jerry Jones has made a few blockbuster deals to give new defensive coordinator Christian Parker the best chance to succeed.

Kicking off the list was the trade to acquire Green Bay Packers edge rusher Rashan Gary for a 2027 fourth-round pick. He has 46.5 career sacks, and last year, he started the season strong with 7.5 sacks in the first seven games. However, he finished without another sack despite playing every game except the finale.

America’s team then signed former Arizona Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson to a three-year, $33 million deal with a maximum value of $36 million. The 27-year-old has been a full-time starter over the last five seasons in Arizona and has nine career interceptions. Thompson will drastically improve the Dallas secondary as the Cowboys’ passing defense allowed 251.5 yards per game and 35 passing touchdowns.

Jones and Co. also agreed to a one-year deal worth a maximum of $3 million with former Los Angeles Chargers defensive tackle Otito Ogbonnia, who will add depth to the position with Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark already on the roster.

As the offseason continues, the Dallas faithful will hope that Jerry Jones and the Cowboys can build on this momentum of revamping a roster that can push for the Super Bowl and the franchise’s 30-year Lombardi Trophy drought.