Dallas must watch the playoffs from home.
There are plenty of important decisions for the Dallas Cowboys to make this offseason.
With so many holes on this roster and with the Cowboys frittering recent draft capital on players destined to leave the team – I am looking at you Trey Lance and Jonathan Mingo – the Cowboys need to make some smart decisions on which of their 27 impending free agents to bring back for 2025.
In recent years, the Cowboys have sat out the first wave of free agency and focused on bringing back their own guys.
While that is an admirable position to take, the Cowboys can ill-afford to let key contributors walk out the door and add to the already lengthy list of needs this roster has.
With that in mind, here are three soon to be free agents that the Cowboys absolutely must re-sign.
Osa Odighizuwa – Defensive Tackle
Odighizuwa was an interior defensive lineman on the rise heading into the 2024 season.
After a fine third season, the early part of 2024 was heavy sledding for the former UCLA defensive tackle.
It is no coincidence that the Cowboys run defence significantly improved as Odighizuwa found his form. Odighizuwa finished with career highs in total tackles and sacks in 2024 and his importance to this defensive front can not be understated.
The Cowboys have lots of work to do to get better at stopping the run and letting your better run defenders walk in free agency cannot be allowed to happen.
Of the six defensive linemen that could leave, Osa Odighizuwa should be the number one priority to bring back.
Rico Dowdle – Running Back
Having Rico Dowdle evenly share carries with a washed Ezekiel Elliot was one of many curious decisions behind an anaemic running game in the first half of the season for the Cowboys.
Once Dowdle was the clear number one running back he got better and better as the season progressed.
Dowdle ended with 1,079 yards on the ground and went over 100 yards in four of the final six games of the season.
The 26-year-old displayed an exciting mix of explosiveness and physicality when given the opportunity and it is clear he should be the guy leading the backfield in 2025.
The Cowboys should be focusing on finding a back to complement Dowdle this offseason.
Jourdan Lewis – Cornerback
Lewis has spent his whole career with the Cowboys since being drafted in the third round back in 2017.
Lewis returned to the team on a one-year deal in 2024 and has done more than enough to earn another contract.
The Cowboys lost Stephon Gilmore in free agency last year and could barley get Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland on the field together due to injury during the season.
Lewis provided veteran leadership to a defence that missed its top four players for huge portions of the season and continued to play at an elevated level having his best season yet.
The slot corner role is such a difficult one to consistently play to a high level in the NFL. Lewis often gets looked over when we talk about elite slot corners in the league.
Given the inconsistency in the secondary due to injuries it is imperative that the Cowboys keep key leaders.
It would be a huge mistake to let Lewis walk this offseason, he will not have a shortage of suitors if he were to hit the open market.
Not much wiggle room
Given their precarious cap situation the Cowboys will not be able to bring all the players back that they want to.
For me they absolutely must start with the three names above if they are going to put themselves in a position to improve in 2025.
