The Dallas Cowboys continue to examine key players in the secondary position as they look to bounce back from a disastrous 2020 season.
Earlier this week the club re-signed cornerback C.J. Goodwin to a two-year contract. Now, as first reported by his management team, the club has retained the services of cornerback Jourdan Lewis with a three-year deal. Lewis’ agent broke the news as he announced the signing on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CMiefMYMdLd/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
The total value of the deal could reach $16.5 million over the three years.
Lewis is a highly adept slot blitzer, checking in with six sacks over the last two seasons and has proven to be relatively durable, playing in 61 of 64 games since joining the club out of the University of Michigan as a third-round pick in 2017. He’s recovered four fumbles and picked off four passes in his career. In addition to his two sacks last season he also collected seven tackles-for-loss (TFLs) on the season, second most on the team behind edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence.
Lewis had one of his worst seasons in coverage last year though, along with several members of the Dallas defense under the misdirection of coordinator Mike Nolan. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), the Cowboys CB did not fair well in comparison to other corners.
Jourdan Lewis is re-signing with the Cowboys on a 3-year $16.5M deal, per @VIPSports_Mgt
Lewis: 66.4 career PFF grade (77th) pic.twitter.com/7prtn1lpEj
— PFF (@PFF) March 17, 2021
Lewis has primarily been a slot corner for the last three seasons after starting out playing wide as a rookie in 2017. The new regime of Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt, Jr. see potential or even the possibility of using Lewis in a different role in 2021.
A change in defensive coordinator might be just want Lewis needed after he and Kris Richard didn’t see eye to eye on size requirements and several defenders seemed lost with Nolan’s system and his now-departed secondary coaches.
[listicle id=666324][listicle id=666194][lawrence-newsletter]