Players the Dallas Cowboys Regret Letting Go of Before the 2026 Season
The 2026 offseason for the Cowboys involved several additions to the team in hopes of turning around the roster. Dallas drafted the former Ohio State Buckeye Caleb Downs in the first round this past year, and while the expectations are set high, many believe he can be the leader of this defense for years to come. They would hire Christian Parker, a former assistant coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, in hopes that he could turn around arguably the worst defense in the NFL last year. Despite a strong emphasis on new additions, Dallas also faced significant losses. With the 2026 season approaching, who are some players the Cowboys regret losing before the season starts?
Osa Odighizuwa
Dallas traded longtime defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa to the 49ers for only a third-round pick in March of this offseason. The main reason for trading a player like Odighizuwa is because he simply does not fit the scheme that new coordinator Parker wants to play in Dallas. The Cowboys will likely play a 3-4 scheme, a scheme that Dallas has not done consistently since they had Wade Phillips as a coordinator back in the late 2000s. However, with two solid defensive tackles in Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams looking like the starters, the former UCLA Bruin was left as the odd man out. While a scheme fit was a question, it is still difficult to believe that they wanted to let go of a player of his stature that easily. In his Dallas career, the veteran interior lineman would record over 17 sacks, 115 solo tackles, and two forced fumbles in 84 games.
Solomon Thomas
Another defensive tackle that had a lot of impact in Dallas was Solomon Thomas. The Texas native only played one season for the Lone Star Team, and while it was a year filled with negatives on the defensive side of the football, Thomas was one of the few bright spots. An underrated factor that the former Stanford standout brought to Dallas was his veteran leadership. In games where the Cowboys' defense was clearly outplayed, the former Cardinal star consistently was a player that could be relied on for presence for both the players on the field and the coaching staff. The stats do not reflect the whole story for Dallas’ former first-round pick, as he would only have 10 solo tackles, but the aforementioned continuity he brought and the hustle plays where he did not get on the stat sheet will be missed in Dallas.
