The NFL's legal tampering period doesn't open for another two weeks, but the Dallas Cowboys appear incentivized to ensure their biggest free agent, Osa Odighizuwa, does not get to talk to other teams.
While the Cowboys historically have prioritized keeping their own players in free agency, there's concern among fans that Odighizuwa's lofty price tag will convince the front office to look elsewhere to bolster their interior defensive line, which needs a lot of work.
It appears, though, that Dallas is prepared to pay what is necessary to retain Odighizuwa, who led all interior defenders in quarterback hits last season.
Brian Schottenheimer was the last head coach to address reporters at the NFL Combine. Sure enough, the first question he fielded on Thursday was about the team's ongoing negotiations with Odighizuwa. While Schottenheimer made sure not to reveal too much, his upbeat tone told us all we need to know.
Brian Schottenheimer makes it sound like Osa Odighizuwa will return to the Cowboys
"There's a lot of ongoing conversations," Schottenheimer said, via Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "Osa's done a terrific job for us. He's a terrific young player, he does everything right. As those communications keep going ... it's never done until it's done, but he'd be a guy we'd love to have back."
That's a textbook coachspeak answer for a first-time head coach. Schottenheimer made sure to cover his bases by saying an agreement is never done until a player signs on the dotted line. That said, it looks increasingly likely that Odighizuwa will remain in Dallas.
Schottenheimer's soundbite comes after the aforementioned Harris reported the Cowboys are "optimistic" they can reach an agreement with Odighizuwa in the coming days. Harris also noted that Odighizuwa's price tag could eclipse $20 million per year.
That is the going rate for players of Odighizuwa's caliber.
As of this writing, six DTs make $24 million or more per year. Chiefs star Chris Jones sits atop the position with a $31.75 million annual average value.
It is fair to assume that Odighizuwa's deal could fall in the range of $20-23 million per year. A $21 million AAV would make Odighizuwa the 13th highest-paid interior defender in football. That would be a tremendous deal for the Cowboys as Odighizuwa is young, consistent and durable. He checks every box of a player you want to lock down to a big contract.
While nothing is official yet, both Schottenheimer's answer and Harris' reporting make it sound like a matter of when, not if, this gets over the finish line.
