The Dallas Cowboys, still searching for a reliable replacement for All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons, could target Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai as a affordable starter, given cap space constraints and market realities for top pass rushers.
Dallas ranked 22nd in sacks last season, and four of the team’s six outside linebackers are set to hit free agency, including two of the three players who posted the most sacks. With about $31.5 million in cap space before the mid-March deadline and a likely franchise tag for wide receiver George Pickens, bringing in a high-end free-agent edge rusher appears unlikely.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport suggests Ossai as a sensible fit for a fourth-year edge, noting his best season to date in 2025 (5 sacks, 46 tackles, 1 PD in 17 games) and his growing developmental trajectory. Ossai has posted 45 pressures and 27 quarterback hits over the past two years, showing the ability to set the edge and pressure the quarterback, even if his stats have not reached elite levels.
The potential move would position Ossai to compete for a starting outside linebacker role with Cowboys veterans such as Donovan Ezeiruaku and James Houston, while keeping in mind the team’s depth at the position and the likelihood that Jadeveon Clowney’s return is not guaranteed given financial limitations.
Ossai’s arrival would align with Dallas’s longer-term strategy, as the team holds two first-round picks in April to groom the next edge star. While Ossai isn’t Micah Parsons, he presents a workable, low-cost path to bolster the pass rush and add starting experience, especially if the Cowboys can’t lure a top-tier free agent this March.
