Cowboys’ 2025 free agent profile: CB Jourdan Lewis

The Dallas Cowboys have an extended record of free brokers who will formally hit the open market in slightly over two months. Of these, six or seven have been vital contributors in 2024, that means the Cowboys have some tough selections forward of them within the subsequent two months.

We proceed our free agent profile collection by analyzing a participant who was one in all Dallas’ finest performers in 2024, cornerback Jourdan Lewis.

Photograph by Sam Hodde/Getty Photographs

2024 Common Season Stats: 16G, 52 Tackles, 24 Defensive Stops, 48 Receptions Allowed, 488 Receiving Yards Allowed, 5 PBU, 79.0 Protection Grade

12 months Overview: To the shock of many, the Dallas Cowboys introduced cornerback Jourdan Lewis again final spring, signing the veteran to a one-year, $2.8M deal. Lewis’s return to Dallas got here as a little bit of a shock, and there was not a lot religion in him earlier than the beginning of the season. A lot in order that coming into coaching camp, there have been questions on Caelen Carson doubtlessly beginning at exterior nook, shifting DaRon Bland again inside, and sending Lewis to the bench.

Carson struggled early on, and Bland ended up getting injured earlier than the season began in order that idea by no means received an opportunity to play out. The Cowboys are fortunate it didn’t as a result of Lewis turned out to be by far one of the best cornerback on the roster in 2024.

The 29-year-old had a profession 12 months, recording the best protection grade of his profession (79.0) through Professional Soccer Focus. Lewis held opponents to 3 or fewer receptions in 10 of the 16 common season video games he performed in and had 9 video games the place he held opponents to fewer than 20 receiving yards.

Lewis performed a few of his finest soccer towards among the most gifted offenses Dallas’ protection confronted. In opposition to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3, the veteran didn’t enable a single reception. Lewis achieved the identical feat in Week 9 towards the Atlanta Falcons and as soon as once more in Week 17 towards the Philadelphia Eagles.

You can make a stable argument behind Micah Parsons, the previous third-round choose was the best-performing participant on Dallas’ protection final season. Bringing Lewis again for slightly below three million turned out to be one of many Cowboys’ finest discount contracts in current reminiscence, and the veteran set himself up properly to get a giant payday hitting the open market after his breakout 12 months.

Free Company Outlook: After the season he had, Lewis will make the $2.8M deal he signed final offseason appear like peanuts this spring. Whereas the veteran’s dimension limits him to enjoying primarily within the slot, you possibly can’t discover many slot corners who put collectively a greater 12 months than Lewis through the 2024 common season.

Final March, nickel nook Taron Johnson signed a three-year, $30M contract extension with the Buffalo Payments. Johnson was coming off being named an All-Professional through the 2023 common season, and his efficiency throughout his contract 12 months was just like what Lewis did earlier than coming into free company. Many believed Lewis ought to have earned All-Professional honors this 12 months, and the contract signed by Johnson will probably function a ceiling for what Lewis hopes to realize on the open market.

At age 29, the veteran probably received’t get a take care of as excessive of an AAV as Johnson did, however a group will nearly definitely be keen to offer him three years. Groups just like the Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams, and Carolina Panthers that want cornerback assist might be eager about buying Lewis’ providers if the Cowboys let him hit free company.

Cowboys Verdict: A number of weeks again, Lewis spoke publicly about his need to stay in Dallas regardless of being set to hit free company.

“Always,” he mentioned. “Dallas is my dwelling. My children have been born right here. We’d like to have one other season right here, or a couple of seasons right here. My spouse loves it.

“But I know it’s a business, and we don’t know what the front office needs.”

It certain looks as if Lewis can be very eager about figuring out a contract the place he can return to Dallas, and the Cowboys may gain advantage considerably from bringing him again. Dallas has DaRon Bland, Caelen Carson, and Trevon Diggs below contract for the 2025 season.

Diggs, who suffered a critical knee damage that ended his 2024 marketing campaign early, will probably miss at the least half of the 2025 common season. That leaves Dallas with two wholesome cornerbacks, one in all which had an especially disappointing rookie 12 months.

You can argue that cornerback is at present the thinnest place group on Dallas’ total roster. Re-signing Lewis would give the Cowboys’ cornerback group an enormous increase and permit them the pliability to not be pressured to spend a premium draft choose on a nook.

All in all, a return to Dallas makes an excessive amount of sense for each side for it to not occur. Lewis desires to be right here, and the Cowboys want him again, so the 2 events ought to be capable to work out a deal, hopefully earlier than the beginning of free company.

Prediction: Jourdan Lewis indicators a three-year, $19.5M contract with the Dallas Cowboys