What Was the Dallas Cowboys Best and Worst Offseason Move?

There was no shortage of moves during the offseason for the Dallas Cowboys, who were focused on fixing their defense. Dallas finished with one of the best offenses in the entire NFL, but still fell short of the playoffs, due to the fact that they had one of the worst all-around defenses in the league.

The Cowboys were able to keep all 11 offensive starters, which gives them some uncommon continuity entering the 2026 season. Defensively, they have a revamped unit which could feature six new starters.

New defensive coordinator Christian Parker has had reviews throughout OTA's and minicamp, and the new additions have also generated some buzz. With training camp set to start on July 28, the real work is ready to begin. As the Cowboys gear up for that, let's take a look at what stands out as their best and worst offseason moves.

Best offseason move: Selecting Caleb Downs at No. 11

Dallas Cowboys safety Caleb Downs goes through a drill during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Signing Parker as their new defensive coordinator deserves some strong consideration for the Cowboys' best move, but in the end, it was the selection of Caleb Downs at No. 11 overall. The Ohio State safety was considered the top overall prospect by many draft experts, but the safety position is often undervalued.

Over the past decade, the Cowboys have been as guilty as anybody at overlooking the position, which is why it was such a pleasant surprise to see them finally prioritize it this offseason. In addition to selecting Downs, they also signed Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke in free agency.

Downs is expected to play some safety as well as in the slot as his addition gives them a true leader in the secondary who can be a chess piece for Parker. He has also been praised by the coaching staff, as well as teammates, for his excellent communication skills, as he is proving to be an extension of the coaching staff on the field. Players were not on the same page for much of the 2025 season, and Downs is expected to help fix that. That's what makes this their best move of the offseason.

Worst offseason move: Trading away Osa Odighizuwa

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa takes the field with a flag honoring late defensive end Marshawn Kneeland. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As bad as the Cowboys were on defense in 2025, there were a couple of bright spots. One of those was fifth-year defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, who had just signed a four-year, $80 million extension ahead of the season. He performed well with 44 tackles and 3.5 sacks, and earned the top 25 pass-rushing grade among defensive tackles, with a 71.5 according to PFF.

Odighizuwa was also one of the leaders in the locker room and a player that absolutely everybody on the team loved. Despite that, they decided he wasn't a scheme fit and he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a third-round pick. Dallas believes they have enough depth at defensive tackle with Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark added in 2025, but Odighizuwa was the youngest of the group and definitely has higher upside than Clark.

The Cowboys were able to land Michigan linebacker Jaishawn Barham with the pick they acquired in exchange for Odighizuwa, but it's hard to see the rookie making the same impact that the veteran could have. Considering how bad the defense was in 2025, the Cowboys should have found a way to fit Odighizuwa into the new scheme, rather than giving up a talented player for a late Day 2 pick.

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