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EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – JANUARY 04: Head coach Brian Schottenheimer of the Dallas Cowboys looks on during the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on January 04, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The New York Giants won 34-17. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
The Dallas Cowboys have yet to find a true replacement for All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons.
The Cowboys ranked 22nd in sacks last season, and at current moment four of the team’s six outside linebackers – including two of the three ones with the most sacks last season – are set to hit free agency.
With $31.5 million of cap space to make up prior to the mid-March deadline, and the team set to franchise tag wide receiver George Pickens, in all likelihood, Dallas is unlikely to have the capacity to be able to bring in a top talent off the edge in free agency this March – not that elite-level pass rushers even reach the open market anymore.
So instead the team could prioritize a cheaper, value addition with starting experience, who has put up decent numbers in the past. This option, according to Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport, could come in the form of Cincinnati Bengals defensive end, Joseph Ossai.
Cowboys Considered a Fit For Fourth Year Defensive End
Ossai had his best season to date in 2025, managing 5 sacks, 46 tackles and 1 pass defended across a full 17-game slate with 3 starts.
“Ossai hasn’t posted gaudy stats over his four seasons in the Queen City.” Davenport wrote on February 13. “But his playing time has increased in recent years, and he has shown the ability to both set the edge and get after opposing quarterbacks—he has 45 pressures and 27 quarterback hits over the past two years.”
“Ossai is entering the prime of his career, and among edge-rushers who aren’t going to command a big contract in 2026, he is the best bet to have a coming-out party in a new home.”
Joseph Ossai Signing Could Be Mutually Beneficial
Despite Cincinnati’s oftentimes decrepit pass rush last season, Ossai still was not able to compete as a full-time starter, and with the emergence of first round pair, Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart presumably looked into those roles for the foreseeable future, it would figure that Ossai would look to join a franchise with whom he could have an opportunity to carve out a bona fide starting role.
The Cowboys, meanwhile would see Ossai immediately compete for a starting position at outside linebacker, along with second year pro Donovan Ezeiruaku and pass-rush specialist James Houston, who are the only edge rushers on the roster not set to hit free agency next month.
Ossai is obviously not Micah Parsons – not would he be purported to be. But there is no guarantee that either the team’s sack leader, Jadeveon Clowney will re-sign with the team, especially in the Cowboys’ current cash-strapped situation.
And for a longer-term fixes, the team has two first round draft picks this April to find their next star on the exterior of the defensive line
Daniel Arwas Daniel Arwas is a sports writer who covers the NFL for Heavy.com. Daniel began his career in sports writing in 2022 and has covered the NFL and college football for Gridiron Heroics and The Hammer. More about Daniel Arwas
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