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The Dallas Cowboys have made waves with their acquisition of George Pickens. And they could make Micah Parsons happy before the season starts. Also, here is one perfect Cowboys move to fill out their roster before the 2025 training camp.
Dallas will bring its rookies and veterans in on the same day. Their training camp will begin July 21 in Oxnard, California. The Cowboys could use a little more help at the defensive tackle and offensive tackle positions.
But the foremost need is at defensive tackle. With Mazi Smith and Osa Odighizuwa they have solid starters. But they could use depth.
Cowboys should sign DT Jordan Phillips
He’s 32 years old, so he’s no spring chicken. And he only appeared in seven games for the Bills in 2024. But the Cowboys and Brain Schottenheimer are familiar with him, as he also played two games with Dallas last season.
Phillips can still help with run defense, according to cbssports.com.
“Phillips wasn't healthy last season and only played in nine games, and was on the field for only 143 total snaps between his time with the Cowboys and Bills,” Bryan DeArdo and Jared Dubin wrote. “The massive 330-pound interior lineman is still a good run defender when healthy, though, and he can still be very useful for a defense in a part-time, early-down role.”
It’s the kind of thing that might fit well for the Cowboys. They aren’t looking for a starter, but they could use a run stuffer on a part-time basis.
The consensus for the Cowboys seems to be that they need to do something at the position, according to dallascowboys.com. The question was posed as: Have the Cowboys done enough at the 1-Tech defensive tackle position?
“Personally, I don't think so,” Tommy Yarrish wrote. “Mazi Smith still has a glaring question mark in front of him, and the depth behind him isn't enough to convince me that the Cowboys are set at that position to stop the run at a consistent rate. There's so much unknown in the room with younger guys who either don't have any playing time or don't have enough quality reps. So it would be a spot that wouldn't shock me at all if the Cowboys stick to their 24/7, 365 player acquisition model to find a veteran body to add depth. Or maybe a starting quality player.”
Cowboys responding to HC Brian Schottenheimer
One good thing about the Cowboys attracting a player for the position is the way the team has responded to new head coach Brian Schottenheimer, according to dallascowboys.com. Defensive tackle Solomon Thomas expressed his excitement.
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“It's been awesome, it's been really cool just being part of the team. Being home for me has been awesome,” Thomas said. “Coach Schotty has been doing an amazing job just getting the energy right and culture right here.”
“Guys are excited every day, there's enthusiasm every day, it's feeling like a family. I've only been here like a few weeks, but being around the team, everyone feels close, it's a very college-like atmosphere.”
And the position group is close, too, Thomas said.
“Just having conversations, in the d-line room we're all really close already, just talking to each other, getting a vibe for each other…” Thomas said. It's been really cool getting to know everyone.
“No one is too big for the team,” Thomas said. “We're just starting right now, but I feel like we can build something that's going to be legendary here.”
Osa Odighizuwa adds to defensive tackle mix
And whoever comes in would get to work with Odighizuwa, a rising star. He said he loves being in Dallas, according to dallascowboys.com.
“It's awesome, you know what I mean?” said the former UCLA star. “I love Dallas, love playing for this organization, love being a Cowboy — so the fact that I get to do it for another four years, and I get a very, very large pay increase to do it.
“It's not that I wasn't already happy doing the work, but I'm just going to have an even bigger smile on my face when I come to the building (every day).”
The Cowboys have a lot of optimism with Schottenheimer calling the shots. But the defense will have to be better than it was in 2024. There were several games where the Cowboys couldn't get enough stops to stay within shouting distance of a victory. The run defense struggled, and the overall defense displayed inconsistency throughout the year. That's another reason why the team needs to add depth at defensive tackle.
