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Latest Dallas Cowboys' free agency loss will translate to great news for young player aiming for a promotion

Originally posted on A to Z Sports
By Mauricio Rodriguez | Last updated Mar 10, 2025 9:19 PM ET

The Dallas Cowboys are losing offensive tackle Chuma Edoga in this year's free agency frenzy, the second of two pending free agents so far to head elsewhere ( though less impactful than Jourdan Lewis).

According to Jordan Schultz from FOX Sports, Edoga is signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The deal can't be officially executed until Wednesday per NFL rules but the parties have agreed to terms during the first day of the league's "legal tampering" period.

Edoga arrived in Dallas in 2023 and started 10 games in two years as a backup tackle and guard. Had it not been for an injury early last year, Edoga could've been the Week 1 starter over 2024 first-round pick Tyler Guyton.

Sources: The #Jaguars are signing OT Chuma Edoga.

The former #Cowboys’ tackle started 10 games in Dallas the past two seasons. Help up front for Trevor Lawrence. pic.twitter.com/AZykcYIAWr
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 10, 2025

Losing Edoga to the Jaguars isn't exactly a surprise for the good kind of reason: The Cowboys seem to have a strong option to replace him. I'm talking about former fifth-rounder Asim Richards out of North Carolina.

Late in the season, Richards competed with Guyton for the starting left tackle role on the team, logging 177 snaps at the position for the year. Though he wasn't exactly starting-caliber, Richards has developed into a player you can bet on to be a quality swing tackle.

Edoga's departure means the 24-year-old Richards is likely looking at a promotion.

That won't be without some competition, of course: The Cowboys have second-year tackle Nathan Thomas coming back from injury in 2025 after he suffered a season-ending injury as a rookie last year. Additionally, you can expect them to add some OL depth in the NFL Draft next April.

But if the season started today, Richards would be the backup tackle behind starters Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele and based on how he played last season in limited playing time, that's not a bad thing.

Ideally, however, the days of him rotating with Guyton on regular season games will be left in the rearview mirror.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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