Getty Cornerback Jourdan Lewis of the Dallas Cowboys.
The Dallas Cowboys could move on from a longtime veteran in the offseason.
The Cowboys should cut cornerback Jourdan Lewis before the start of the season, The 33rd Team’s Jeff Diamond. Lewis has been a member of Dallas since they used a third-round draft pick on him in 2017. Diamond argued that the Cowboys’ loaded depth at cornerback plus the emergence of last year’s rookie, DaRon Bland, could make Lewis a cap casualty.
Why the Cowboys Should Cut Lewis: Analyst
“Jourdan Lewis was the Dallas Cowboys’ third-round pick in 2017 and had several productive seasons at cornerback until he sustained a foot injury and landed on IR after six games in 2022,” Diamond wrote. “He’s scheduled to earn $5 million this season in his final season under contract. The Cowboys have Trevon Diggs and Stephon Gilmore as their starting cornerbacks, with last year’s fifth-round pick DaRon Bland playing well (five interceptions and 54 tackles) as the third corner in Lewis’ absence.”
Lewis was injured in the fourth quarter of a win over the Detroit Lions on October 24 and missed the rest of the season. In March, he got rid of a walking boot, according to Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News.
“Jourdan Lewis (Lisfranc) said he ditched the walking boot in March and he’s running, not cutting as yet. ‘Trying to make it before that PUP get to dishing out we don’t want to be on the PUP list,'” Watkins tweeted on June 1.
According to a May 30 story by USA Today’s Cowboys Wire, Lewis was not available to reporters to the media portion of the May 25 organized team activities.
If Dallas were to release Lewis, the Cowboys would absorb just $1.2 million in a dead cap hit and would get $4.7 million in cap savings.
The Cowboys’ looming deals with Diggs and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb should encourage Dallas to save as much money as they can. According to Spotrac, Diggs’ market value is $15.4 million per season across four years at a total of $61.8 million. Meanwhile, Lamb’s projected market value is $22.5 million per year across four seasons at a total of $90.4 million.
“Dallas has $14.2 million in cap room but will look to extend Diggs (a potential free agent in 2024) and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who are two-time Pro Bowlers,” Diamond wrote. “Lewis looks like a likely cap casualty.”
Jourdan Lewis Has Served as Key Cornerback Since 2017 Season
Since arriving in Dallas prior to the 2017 season, Lewis has started 43 of his 83 career games. He’s mostly served as the Cowboys’ nickel cornerback, appearing in at least 76% of the defensive snaps in the games he’s appeared in four of the past six years.
According to Pro Football Focus, Lewis posted a 59.1 defensive grade in the six games he appeared in last season. Meanwhile, Bland posted an even better defensive grade of 66.0.
As Pro Football Reference notes, Bland allowed 9.2 yards per completion, a 71.4% completion rate and an 82.2 passer rating last season. Meanwhile, Lewis allowed 8.9 yards per completion, a 73.1% completion rate and a 74.2 passer rating last season. It is worth noting, however, that Bland did lead the Cowboys in interceptions with five. Lewis has never posted more than three interceptions in a single season.
Considering the Cowboys also feature other young corners such as former second-round draft pick Kelvin Joseph and former third-round pick Nahshon Wright, there appears to be little room for Lewis on the roster entering the 2023 season.