Cowboys can't afford to miss out on signing free agent defensive lineman

The Dallas Cowboys have a pair of defensive linemen set to hit free agency in Carlos Watkins and Brent Urban. Watkins is fresh off a career year, and Urban will turn 31 before the start of next season. Urban missed the final 12 games of the season (incl. playoffs), but he was a big part […]

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DT Larry Ogunjobi would be the perfect fit for the Cowboys. Photo credit: Albert Cesare / The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Dallas Cowboys have a pair of defensive linemen set to hit free agency in Carlos Watkins and Brent Urban.

Watkins is fresh off a career year, and Urban will turn 31 before the start of next season. Urban missed the final 12 games of the season (incl. playoffs), but he was a big part of the early-season success at stopping the run. The only defensive tackles remaining on the roster are full of highs and lows.

Osa Odighizuwa had the Cowboys second-best rookie season with 6.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and 14 pressures, but he was inconsistent after a hot start to the season. Odighizuwa posted an overall grade of 48.5 according to PFF.

Neville Gallimore and Trysten Hill each missed over half the season with injuries. When on the field, they created plenty of pressure with a combined 2.0 sacks and nine pressures, but became liabilities against the run. Both are young and talented, but neither have done anything to secure a starting spot.

The Dallas Cowboys need to get more talented along the interior defensive line. At the moment, they've got plenty of depth players, but lack that sure-fire weapon inside the edges. As Jerry Jones would say: a War Daddy.

Zach Wolchuk and Eric Chiofalo of 1053 The Fan in Dallas spoke about bargain players the Cowboys could afford and mentioned Browns defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi.

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Larry Ogunjobi has played his entire five-year career in the state of Ohio. Four of those years came with Cleveland. He's totaled 21.5 sacks, 41 tackles for loss and 92 pressures over the course of his career.

Not only is Ogunjobi a force in creating pressure and he's coming off one of his best seasons as a run defender. He helped the Cincinnati Bengals rank 10th against the run on their way to the Super Bowl before his foot injury during the playoffs.

Ogunjobi is a great, versatile defensive tackle who can play the 3-technique, nose tackle or under tackle in a 4-3 defense. A rotation featuring him and the aforementioned players would greatly improve the interior run defense. As well as the pass rush.

His price range, factoring his injury is ranging from anywhere from $5-$7.5 million per year. Considering his output, he would likely cost more if he were an edge rusher, with the success he's achieving. Fortunately, Ogunjobi is an interior defensive linemen, and as such has a lower market.

Ogunjobi's market is one that the Dallas Cowboys will be able to afford, after they make their cap moves. What they can't afford is to let a player like this go elsewhere when he would fit like a glove in Dan Quinn's defense. Adding to their elite pass rush, and neediness in run defense.

Featured image via-Albert Cesare / The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK