‘We will definitely be active’ – Brian Schottenheimer teases Dallas Cowboys reinforcements and the best option is obvious
The Dallas Cowboys expect to be active Wednesday.
Following the grind of trimming the roster from 91 players to 53, the Dallas Cowboys have more work waiting for them on Wednesday.
The waiver wire period—in which teams are allowed to claim players waived by others in a priority order similar to the draft—is completed at noon Wednesday. Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer called the day a “second draft” for America’s Team, teasing activity from the front office.
“I think we will definitely be active,” said Schottenheimer. “What does that mean? I don’t know how many new faces there will be here compared to how many guys we bring back. But we’re open for business.”
Schottenheimer even joked he commanded Cowboys VP of player personnel Will McClay to get back in the film room to find some players that can help the team.
If McClay is seriously interested in bolstering the defensive line specifically, he should look into the obvious option that is former Baltimore Ravens nose tackle C.J. Okoye. As of right now, the Cowboys don’t have a proven natural nose tackle (Solomon Thomas is expected to start at that spot but he’s played three-technique most of his career) and while Okoye isn’t a battle-tested veteran, he could provide Dallas with much needed upside.
C.J. Okoye’s “tools are undeniable”
For more insight into Okoye, I reached out to A to Z Sports’ scouting expert Kyle Crabbs.
“Nose tackles that are built like C.J. Okoye don’t grow on trees,” said Crabbs. “A native of Nigeria, Okoye got a late start in football and was originally a basketball player before garnering attention at the 2022 NFL Africa camp. He was initially an offensive lineman but converted to the defensive side of the ball when he was paired with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023. The raw tools are undeniable and the trajectory he is on with such a late start to the game may be worth betting on for the right team that has the space to accommodate a bit more of a developmental presence in the A-gaps in 2025.”
Now granted, claiming Okoye would mean having to cut someone on the Cowboys defensive tackle room. And it’s unlikely they choose Okoye over former first-rounder Mazi Smith, who notably received one more chance from the Dallas coaching staff.
Be it Okoye or someone else, hopefully the Cowboys find ways to boost the roster going into Week 1.