Cowboys free agency 2023: Exploring Chuma Edoga’s career before Dallas

In the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft the New York Jets selected Chuma Edoga.

Edoga had a rocky start to his career allowing 22 pressures, 6 sacks, 4 QB hits, and 12 hurries in 8 starts as a rookie. Unfortunately, Edoga was placed on IR after suffering an MCL sprain in Week 12 and would go on to miss the rest of that first season.

While it’s fair to say Edoga didn’t play well as a rookie, it definitely didn’t help that the Jets coaching staff decided to move him back and forth between left tackle and right tackle which could’ve stunted his growth. Edoga played 185 snaps at left tackle and 236 snaps at right tackle during that 2019 campaign. Typically when offensive linemen move they are just bumped inside and outside like Tyler Smith was in 2022, but Edoga was having to learn how to play both left and right tackle during his first year in the NFL when that is hard enough for All-Pro players like Tyron Smith let alone a 22-year-old third round rookie.

Throughout the next two seasons Edoga battled injuries that led to him playing in just 16/32 games which ultimately led to his eventual release from the Jets in August of 2022.

Shortly after being released Edoga signed with the Falcons and finally transitioned to guard. Unfortunately he was placed on IR due to a “knee concern” and missed 15/17 games in 2022 meaning he’d played 18/48 games in three seasons.

While things sound dark and gloomy for Chuma, he showed serious promise in his only start at guard in 2022 allowing 0 sacks, 0 QB hits, 1 hurry, and 1 pressure on 55 snaps making it easily the best game of his career while making his first start at left guard — a position the Dallas Cowboys need depth in after Connor McGovern signed with the Buffalo Bills.

Still, the Cowboys had interest in a trade for Edoga prior to the Jets releasing him. The coaching staff seems to have some sort of plan for Chuma and whether it’s as depth behind a rookie or as insurance incase Tyron Smith goes down, we’ll find out in training camp.