The 2026 offseason was a big one for the Dallas Cowboys. After yet another seven-win season and missing the playoffs, it was time for the franchise to make some big changes. It started with the hiring of Christian Parker, a 34-year-old secondary coach from the Philadelphia Eagles. That move was met with a lot of excitement and praise, especially from the national media.
What is so different about this offseason is how the Cowboys went about rebuilding their roster. It’s clear that Parker had a big hand in the personnel, and there were a few players who he felt ultimately didn’t fit.
One example would be Jadeveon Clowney, who many believed was a lock to return after a successful 2025 season. But as soon as Parker was hired, it was clear that he was no longer a fit in Dallas. However, Clowney wasn’t the only player whom Parker decided to move on from right away.
ESPN believes the Dallas Cowboys made a huge mistake trading away Osa Odighizuwa
In a recent article by Seth Walder of ESPN, he wrote about every team’s best and worst moves during the 2026 offseason. Walder complimented the Cowboys on several moves, including keeping George Pickens on the franchise tag, acquiring Dee Winters and Jalen Thompson, and the hiring of Christian Parker.
But the one move that Walder vehemently disagreed with was the decision to trade Osa Odighizuwa to the 49ers for a third-round pick. Here is a snippet of why he believes the Cowboys made a huge mistake trading Odighizuwa during the prime of his career:
“The Cowboys chose the wrong D-tackle to deal, as Odighizuwa is younger and makes less than Clark, plus is arguably better than the veteran at this stage of their respective careers. The Cowboys would have gotten less draft capital for Clark, but I don't think they fared particularly well with the Odighizuwa deal and wonder if they didn't trade Clark, who was part of the Parsons deal, due to the optics.”
We can certainly debate if “optics” played a role in the Cowboys not trading Kenny Clark, but the fact is that they felt like Osa Odighizuwa was the “worst” fit of the three defensive tackles in Christian Parker’s defense. That doesn’t mean he was the worst player of the three because that likely isn’t true.
The Cowboys want Quinnen Williams to be their full-time three-technique with Clark handling some of the nose-tackle responsibilities. And when Clark isn’t playing nose tackle, he’ll likely be used as a 4i and in other situations where he can be used to stop the run. That’s why Dallas decided to move Odighizuwa instead, as he’s never been a strong run defender.
Odighizuwa is at his best when he’s getting up the field as a pass rusher from the three-technique spot. And with Williams on the roster, there just wasn’t a clear and obvious fit for Odighizuwa on the roster given his current contract.
From that standpoint, it’s easy to understand the trade. Williams and Clark are just better fits in the defense, and Odighizuwa held more trade value than Clark.
The obvious cons of the Cowboys trading Osa Odighizuwa
However, you could also make the argument that Parker should/could have adjusted his scheme to fit all three defensive tackles, considering they are the best players on defense. And we saw how disruptive Williams and Odighizuwa were together last season.
The other part of the trade that we can disagree with is trading him to a conference rival. The 49ers (along with the Packers) have been arguably the biggest nemesis for the Cowboys in the postseason for the last several seasons, and gifting them an impactful defensive tackle in the prime of his career won’t help. Again, though, it was obviously the best offer Dallas had on the table for Odighizuwa, and that’s why they made the trade.
Time will tell if the Cowboys made a mistake trading Odighizuwa for just a late third-round pick, especially if he becomes a star for the 49ers. But if we are to believe that Parker knows how to build a championship-caliber defense, we should give him the benefit of the doubt when it comes to making roster decisions.
Still, this was a hard pill to swallow for Cowboys’ fans as Odighizuwa was a durable starter for the past five seasons, and now he is gone to another NFC contender.
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