Dallas Cowboys get welcome gift for recently hired coach and it will help solve one of the most significant issues on the roster
When news broke about the Dallas Cowboys signing an $80 million deal with defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, I applauded it but only a few seconds later, a slightly negative thought popped into my head: That's not enough to cover the defensive tackle needs, is it?Let's be honest, things have been pretty rough for the Cowboys […]
When news broke about the Dallas Cowboys signing an $80 million deal with defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, I applauded it but only a few seconds later, a slightly negative thought popped into my head: That's not enough to cover the defensive tackle needs, is it?
Let's be honest, things have been pretty rough for the Cowboys at DT for a good while now. Nose tackle is still a huge question mark as Mazi Smith enters his third year in the league and Odighizuwa has been the lone quality three-technique on the unit for multiple seasons now.
But now, the Cowboys are signing DT Solomon Thomas to a two-year deal worth up to $8 million.
With Thomas' arrival, the Cowboys will be able to keep Odighizuwa's legs fresher and thus more impactful, as getting backups in the defensive line won't be as large of a drop-off in quality of play as it has in recent years. Depth signings might not be as sexy as household name deals, but this will help solve one of the biggest issues on the roster.
Signing Thomas also happens to be a great welcome gift for defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton, who was recently signed to work under defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.
Whitecotton worked with Thomas for three years in the New York Jets, where the former No. 3 overall pick had some of his best years rushing the passer, including a 8.5 sack run over the last couple of seasons. Whitecotton is widely respected in the NFL world and the Jets even tried to keep him around after hiring head coach Aaron Glenn.
"Aaron Whitecotton is a name that a lot of Jets fans don't know but is a name they will certainly miss in 2025," A to Z Sports' Mike Antoniou said earlier in the year. "The Jets tried hard to keep Whitecotton on Aaron Glenn’s staff, but he opted to join the Cowboys staff under new DC Matt Eberflus."
Under Eberflus, a strong defensive line is more of a requirement than usual given his lack of blitzing compared to Mike Zimmer and Dan Quinn. Although it's not a blockbuster signing, Thomas to the Cowboys is one of the best moves of their offseason yet.
