Cowboys could be starting a trend of giving huge extensions to multiple players from the same draft
Giving extensions to multiple players from the same draft class is starting to be a thing for the Cowboys.
The Dallas Cowboys made a splash signing on Tuesday. Sure, the player they signed was one of their own, but any thought of letting Osa Odighizuwa get away can be put to rest as they re-signed him to a four-year, $80 million deal. Not only is Odighizuwa a long-armed disrupting machine in the trenches, he’s one of the team’s most consistent performers. He’s also one of the team’s most available performers, only missing one game over his entire four-year career. Love it, like it, or whatevs, the Cowboys are keeping a good football player.
Odighizuwa’s new deal makes him the 14th highest-paid defensive tackle in the league. That’s a reasonable cost for a player of his talent, but it’s still pricey. And with a Micah Parsons extension on the horizon that will make two players from the 2021 draft class who will have gotten a big second deal with the Cowboys. That doesn’t happen too often.
You may remember in 2014, the Cowboys drafted Zack Martin in the first round and then DeMarcus Lawrence in round two. Two players, two All-Pro’s, but the Cowboys cheated a little by trading away their third-round pick to move up in the second to land Lawrence. Wise move. Both Martin and Lawrence eventually got new deals. Martin became the highest-paid guard while Tank became the second-highest paid edge rusher.
Two years later in 2016, the Cowboys scored a double whammy again in the form of Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott. Everyone expected Zeke to be awesome as he was the fourth overall pick, but Dak was quite the surprise. Elliott worked a new deal making him the highest-paid running back and Prescott has since worked two new deals making him the third-highest quarterback in 2021 and the highest-paid player ever just last year.
The Cowboys then went through a dry spell where their draft haul wasn’t quite as satisfying. Over the next few years, they netted zero second contracts that even came close to landing in the top 15 of their respective positions. They still got some good players as guys like Leighton Vander Esch, Jourdan Lewis, and Donovan Wilson were retained, but none of them were expensive.
Things changed in 2020 when the Cowboys selected CeeDee Lamb and Trevon Diggs. Both earned All-Pro honors and were rewarded with big second contracts. Diggs was first when he became the fifth-highest paid corner and then Lamb last year when he became the second-highest paid wide receiver. It’s worth noting that Tyler Biadasz also became the sixth-highest paid center last season, but he got his paycheck from the Washington Commanders, not the Cowboys.
The following year they selected Micah Parsons and Osa Odighizuwa. While Parsons hasn’t gotten his second deal yet, it’s only a matter of time. It’s nice to see the Cowboys getting top level play from back-to-back drafts. And honestly, it keeps getting better. 2022 draftees Tyler Smith and DaRon Bland earned All-Pro honors their second year in the league and could see big second contracts coming soon.
It would be crazy to draft and keep six stars across three drafts, but it could happen. And while that two-player steak will end with the 2023 draft class, DeMarvion Overshown looked like a future star before he got hurt. The Cowboys also have some promising young players from last year’s draft class who could see second contracts later. Cooper Beebe looks legit while Marshawn Kneeland and Marist Liufau are off to a good start. And who knows. Maybe that Tyler Gutyon fella takes a step forward and suddenly he’s in the conversation. It’s early. Anything is possible.
When you think about it, it’s impressive that the Cowboys keep drafting quality talent worthy of big extensions. A lot is made about the players they let walk in free agency, but they can’t pay everyone. Having more top-heavy costs on the books means looking for more affordable options elsewhere. When you see how frugal the front office has been recently, it starts to make a lot more sense. Hanging on to valuable players is the best way to help get this team back to the playoffs. This “we like our guys” mantra might have little more meaning to it after all.
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