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(Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
In March, the San Francisco 49ers made a trade with the Dallas Cowboys to land defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick (No. 92).
After a challenging year defensively due to numerous injuries, the Niners are hoping to improve the group, and Odighizuwa’s arrival this offseason will help. Last season with the Cowboys, Odighizuwa posted a 65.9 overall PFF defensive grade, ranking 41st among 134 qualified interior defensive linemen.
Moreover, his pass-rush grade of 71.5 placed him 25th, while his run-defense grade of 58.9 ranked 47th at the position. As a pass rusher, he totaled 52 pressures, including three sacks, 29 hurries, and 20 hits. Against the run, he contributed 20 solo tackles.
With this production now out of the Cowboys’ defense, head coach Brian Schottenheimer shared his thoughts when he learned that Odighizuwa was heading to the Niners.
“Anytime you go through a scheme change, there’s going to be adjustments where you move on from an incredible person, an incredible leader in Osa,” Schottenheimer told reporters in a March 31 video from DLLS Cowboys.
“That was one of the hard ones. I’m happy to share with you guys that I wept. We both wept on the phone together. It was hard. That’s the nature of the business, and I’m thrilled that he’s going to a place that is a great fit for him.”
Last year, the Cowboys gave Odighizuwa a four-year, $80 million contract, with $39 million fully guaranteed at signing and $52 million guaranteed in total. With the move, Dallas will take on $16 million in dead money but free up $4.75 million in cap space, per ESPN.
49ers GM Says Joey Bosa Is Too Expensive to Sign
Another player who could help the 49ers on the defensive line is Joey Bosa. The Niners’ name has been in the mix for the veteran, and while it would be a good story to see the Bosa brothers play together, that doesn’t look likely.
“I know that would make Mama Bosa happy, but I don’t know if we can afford him,” 49ers general manager John Lynch said (h/t David Lombardi of the SF Standard).
Joey Bosa Isn’t a Fit for the Niners
San Francisco could use the 47 total pressures, including five sacks, 12 hits, and 30 hurries from last season that the older Bosa recorded, per PFF. Aside from the financial aspect Lynch laid out, Grant Cohn, who covers the 49ers for On SI, says he doesn’t fit the profile that defensive coordinator Raheem Morris wants.
“I just don’t think the 49ers are interested in Joey Bosa,” Cohn said on March 24 on his YouTube channel. “Maybe Nick is. Maybe Cheryl Bosa is interested in this, you know, teaming together. I just don’t see why Raheem Morris would want it. Seems like what Raheem Morris is looking for is a very specific type of player, an outside linebacker. That is not Joey Bosa.
“The way Raheem Morris usually coaches his defense, I’m not a Raheem Morris expert, but I’ve followed him when he was in the NFC West with the Rams. He was a head coach. He wants guys on the edge who can drop into coverage. That’s a necessary skill; it’s part of his scheme when he’s calling coverages and blitzes.
“He wants guys on the edge who can drop into coverage, not once a season but two or three times a game. He already has one edge guy who can’t do that in Nick Bosa.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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