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ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys have edge rusher Odafe Oweh on their radar entering 2026 NFL free agency.
The Dallas Cowboys took a hard line with their approach to a Maxx Crosby trade. The organization was unwilling to offer two first-round picks for the Las Vegas Raiders second-team All-Pro.
As a result, the Cowboys will now likely have to pursue an edge rusher in the free agent market.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Dallas has already changed directions. The Cowboys have their eyes set on a few different free agent options, including Los Angeles Chargers edge rusher Odafe Oweh.
“Dallas must now pivot to free agency to land its pass rusher. It has monitored Trey Hendrickson dating back to the trade deadline,” Fowler wrote. “He’s now a free agent. Jaelan Phillips, Odafe Oweh and Boye Mafe will be firmly on Dallas’ radar in the coming days.”
As arguably the top free agent at any position, Trey Hendrickson could see interest from numerous teams. It also sounds likely Jaelan Phillips will return to the Philadelphia Eagles.
With that in mind, Oweh is a particularly intriguing option for Dallas. The Athletic’s Daniel Popper predicted his market value to be $88 million on a 4-year contract.
“Oweh is an ascending player who started to show more variety in his pass-rush arsenal after joining the Chargers, including an inside spin move that is a changeup off his cross-chop to the edge,” Popper wrote. “The change-of-scenery created a robust market for Oweh, as his traits coalesced into consistent production.”
Cowboys Have Odafe Oweh on Radar Entering 2026 NFL Free Agency
Fowler only made brief mention of Dallas as a potential suitor for Oweh. But it makes sense if Jerry Jones and the Cowboys are serious about bringing the veteran edge rusher to Dallas.
Oweh emerged as a potent edge rusher over the past two seasons. He had a career-high 10 sacks with the Baltimore Ravens during 2024.
This past season, he had 7.5 sacks while splitting the campaign with the Ravens and Chargers. All of them came in 12 games with Los Angeles.
Oweh then added three sacks and two forced fumbles in just one playoff game.
The 27-year-old likely raised his value considerably with that postseason performance. Popper noted, though, that Oweh benefitted from playing with Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu in Los Angeles.
Still, Oweh’s breakout campaign came in Baltimore. So while it’s true that in Dallas, the Cowboys would likely have to surround Oweh with a better edge rushing room for him to reach his full potential, he appears capable of being the top pass rusher on a strong NFL defense.
In addition to 7.5 sacks, Oweh had nine tackles for loss and 18 quarterback hits during 2025.
Cowboys Pursuing Edge Rusher in Free Agency
Some fans and pundits appear to have a “believe it when I see it” attitude when it comes to the Cowboys and free agency this offseason. That’s because Dallas hasn’t been as aggressive as some pundits thought they should have been the past couple offseasons.
Jones, though, has been insistent with the media that the team will spend this March.
“I could see us being aggressive in free agency,” Jones told reporters on February 27, via DallasCowboys.com’s Tommy Yarrish. “By the very virtue of having two number ones, we’re gonna spend more money in the draft than normally you would spend.
“I would bet that we will spend more money in free agency than we have.”
Jones also specifically addressed the defensive approach to free agency.
“I want to do everything we possibly can to stop somebody and to basically win some third downs more than we did last year,” Jones added. “So I think that would be the area that you would see me bust the budget.”
It would make a lot of sense for the Cowboys to invest heavily in defensive upgrades this offseason. Dallas finished the 2025 campaign last in points allowed and 30th in yards yielded.
The Cowboys were also near the bottom in lots of pass defense categories.
Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb
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