Tag: Jourdan Lewis

Jourdan Lewis’ future with the Cowboys appears in doubt

Given the severity of his injury, his cost against the cap and the depth of the position, Jourdan Lewis’ time may be over with the Cowboys. | From @ReidDHanson

It wasn’t unexpected to see Jourdan Lewis’ name pop up on the Cowboys PUP list this week. The seventh-year cornerback suffered a Lisfranc injury in late October which required surgery and a brutal rehab period that was predicted to extend into training camp.

Lisfranc, a midfoot injury that impacts both bone and ligament, is a difficult injury to overcome. As David Moore of the Dallas Morning News described, it required the insertion of screws, nuts and bolts for Lewis, which kept him in a walking boot through March.

Earlier in the summer Lewis spoke of his grueling rehab and how the foot injury essentially requires him to re-learn how to walk. Lewis only started running recently and even that has been restricted by his rehab team.

Even though Lewis suffered a particularly bad Lisfranc injury, it’s not uncommon for the rehab to last as long as it has. Per the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, the median time to return for NFL players was 11.1 months from the time of the injury. Lewis would be lucky to make the median time (mid-September).

This all assumes Lewis returns to the Cowboys.

After struggling significantly with depth at the CB position throughout most of 2022, Dallas has built up quite the unit in 2023. Trevon Diggs and Stephon Gilmore have the top-two spots locked down while players like DaRon Bland, Eric Scott, Kelvin Joseph, Nahshon Wright, Myles Brooks and even hybrid DB Israel Mukuamu duke it out for coverage roles behind and alongside them.

Bland was particularly impressive in 2022, leading the Cowboys in interceptions (five) and showing he could be a long-term answer at CB. Even if Lewis bounces back to his pre-injury self, Bland is the favorite to claim Lewis’ spot as the top nickel CB (provided Bland can pick up where he left off in his rookie season).

Mukuamu was also impressive playing in the nickel role last postseason. But since he’s shown the ability to effectively play a deep safety role as well, his role in 2023 may be more fluid or needs-based.

The rest of the bunch are fighting for roster spots and roles. They are all younger, cheaper and healthier than Lewis, so it stands to reason if they show they can be decent solutions, they will get the benefit of the doubt.

Lewis is on the books for $5,872,550. If he doesn’t fit in as a top-three CB, Dallas may not be able to justify his cost. The Cowboys aren’t in need of creating cap space for this season, but they aren’t known to needlessly spend either.

Lewis’ future is likely to be as tied to the field of competition as it is his own health. If young players step up and show they can be viable solutions, Lewis may not have a place on the roster waiting for him.

Lewis’ time on the PUP list could even extend into the regular season to bide the Cowboys time. They saw firsthand how quickly depth can evaporate at CB and may want to have an ace up their sleeve like Lewis in the background in case of emergency. A PUP designation into the regular season guarantees his salary, though.

How this all plays out is anyone’s guess but there is a very real possibility Lewis never plays a snap again for the Cowboys.

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Updates on 4 key Cowboys as training camp nears kickoff

A look at the four-headed monster of participation concerns as the Cowboys embark on a journey out west. Included, why Tony Pollard is different from other tagged RBs. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys are preparing to board a plane to Oxnard, CA so that they can get the ship going in the right direction. On Monday, the club will travel in advance of Wednesday’s start to training camp practice. While things seemed relatively smooth heading into July, things have been shaken up a bit by contract situations that are not ideal for the players in question.

Also, the team has a small number of injury concerns that may or may not impact eligibility to be full participants once the on-field work begins. Check below on the latest updates from ESPN’s Todd Archer on Zack Martin, Jourdan Lewis, Terence Steele and Tony Pollard.

Cowboys corner market with not 1, not 2, but 3 of NFL’s top slot defenders

With 2 of the Top 11 and a third from last year, Dallas’ slot coverage ability may match that out on the boundary, where they have two All-Pros. | From @KDDrummondNFL

There’s no question the Dallas Cowboys boast one of the NFL’s best and most complete defenses. There are playmakers galore both at the line of scrimmage and in coverage. Back in the day, the phrase turn would have been “at all three levels”, but the transition of defensive personnel into hybrid modalities blurs the lines. Dan Quinn is one of the scheme leaders in that respect, favoring linebackers who primarily have edge responsibilities and three-safety groupings that take on roles formerly manned by a third linebacker.

But scheme isn’t enough on its own; having stand outs play their roles well is imperative in getting a defense that ranked No. 3 in DVOA pass defense in 2022 after ranking second in 2021.

The uniqueness of how Quinn places his chess pieces has resulted in them having not one, but two different players identified among the league’s best in defending the slot entering 2023, per Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar.

But it’s deeper than that, because one of the two on the 2023 list was an injury replacement for someone who made Farrar’s list in 2022.

Cowboys CB Jourdan Lewis named likely cut or trade candidate

From @ToddBrock24f7: The seventh-year veteran is set to make more in 2023 than Trevon Diggs, DaRon Bland, Nahshon Wright, and Eric Scott Jr. combined.

Roster churn in the NFL is constant, and it is unforgiving. How a player has performed in past seasons, how he serves as a locker room leader, the way he represents the team within the community- none of that will reserve a roster spot if the organization can find someone to do the job better or cheaper.

As the Cowboys start to see what they have from their draft picks, new offseason acquisitions, and undrafted free agents, many veterans will find themselves on the bubble, scrapping and clawing for a spot on the final 53.

And even after being starting-lineup staples and solid contributors, some will find themselves packing up their lockers.

Cornerback Jourdan Lewis may well be in a precarious position in Dallas, according to one former league exec.

Jeff Diamond was with the Minnesota Vikings front office for over 20 years and spent the final eight as the team’s general manager before moving to Tennessee to be the Titans’ president for another six seasons. Now with The 33rd Team, Diamond lists Lewis as one of seven notable NFL names who would jump out to a savvy GM as a prime cut candidate.

Of the 2017 third-round draft pick out of Michigan, Diamond writes:

“[Lewis] had several productive seasons at cornerback until he sustained a foot injury and landed on IR after six games in 2022. 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 starters, with last year’s fifth-round pick DaRon Bland playing well (five interceptions and 54 tackles) as the third corner in Lewis’ absence.”

PFF gave Bland a 71.9 grade for his work last season, a better mark than Lewis has ever had as the Cowboys’ nickel corner. Add in the high hopes that the staff still has for third-year man Nahshon Wright plus the early OTA promise of sixth-round rookie pick Eric Scott Jr. and UDFA Myles Brooks, and Lewis may be most valuable to the team now as a trade commodity.

Gilmore can serve as the mentor to the younger guys while also playing a starting role on the field. Lewis figures to be the Cowboys’ fourth-best option at corner but is set to cost more in 2023 than Diggs, Bland, Wright, and Scott combined.

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As for possible trade partners, Jacksonville, Carolina, Minnesota, and New Orleans are all thought to be thin at the cornerback position. Dallas likely wouldn’t expect to get more than a late-round pick for Lewis, but they’d save over $4.5 million by moving him.

The Cowboys already know they have some major contract extensions to work out in the near future- Diggs, CeeDee Lamb, and Dak Prescott among the most pressing- so that cap space could come in handy sooner rather than later.

Lewis, who will turn 28 just prior to the start of his seventh season and the final year of his contract, reportedly was not present for the portion of Thursday’s OTA practice session that was open to the media.

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Cowboys’ Jourdan Lewis provides vital depth in an unproven CB room

The Cowboys could save significant money by cutting Jourdan Lewis but the depth and leadership he provides the unit is too good to lose. | From @ReidDHanson

For the first time in a long time, the Cowboys are solid at the starting cornerback position. Trevon Diggs is one of the NFL’s biggest young stars and Stephon Gilmore is the perfect veteran presence to pair opposite him.

Add in DaRon Bland, 2022’s surprise nickel standout, and Dallas is looking pretty at the top of their cornerback depth chart. Yet, behind those starting posts, things get dicey for the Cowboys. 2021 draft picks Kelvin Joseph (Pick 44) and Nahshon Wright (Pick 100) were supposed to be pushing for starting positions by now.

The one depth player holding it all together appears to be seventh-year CB, Jourdan Lewis.

Top-100 draft picks are expected to develop into viable starters at some point. Neither Joseph nor Wright have shown they are capable of much more than special teams and spot duty on defense.

If Dallas really thought either was on the cusp of breaking out, they likely wouldn’t have traded for the veteran Gilmore, who makes considerably more and came at the cost of a draft pick.

Rookies Eric Scott Jr. and Myles Brooks could have something to offer. But Scott projects best as special teams weapon early and Brooks is a UDFA so expectations for 2023 should probably be tempered.

Then there are C.J. Goodwin and Israel Mukuamu to factor in. Goodwin is a career special teams player and Mukuamu is still listed as a safety. While Mukuamu can cover nickel CB in a pinch, neither are appetizing solutions should something happen to outside men, Diggs or Gilmore.

For as great as the top of the Cowboys CB depth chart looks for 2023, the bottom is a grab bag of unknowns. Any injury threatens to have significant consequences.

Lewis, a third round pick in the 2017 draft, entered the offseason as a possible cap casualty. With a cap number of $5,872,550, Lewis is more costly than the typical CB4. But given the slow development of players like Wright and Joseph, the depth Lewis provides may be too vital to part with.

Lewis is an aggressive tackler, a capable blitzer and versatile enough to play slot or boundary. Per Pro Football Focus’ tracking, Lewis has 904 career snaps outside and 2,131 inside at nickel. He has experience the Cowboys could use in 2023, even if he doesn’t crack the top-3 (although he could challenge Bland for the top nickel role).

Dan Quinn has spoken glowingly of Lewis in the past and holds him in high regard. Unless one of the aforementioned former draft picks drops jaws in training camp, Lewis is a safe bet to make the final roster.

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Report: Cowboys expected to sign former Dan Quinn CB in wake of Lewis loss

Kendall Sheffield was a 4th-round draft pick by the Falcons in 2019; the Texas native also set track records in high school and college. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The loss of cornerback Jourdan Lewis for the season to a Lisfranc injury looks like it will open the door for rookie DaRon Bland to get more playing time, as well as Kelvin Joseph and even Nahshon Wright.

But the ripple effect means there’s a new opportunity at the bottom of the depth chart, too. And the Cowboys are looking to one of defensive coordinator Dan Quinn’s former players to fill it.

NFL insider Ian Rapoport is reporting that the team is expected to sign Kendall Sheffield to the practice squad. Sheffield was a fourth-round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 2019 under then-head coach Quinn.

A Texas native, Sheffield attended Ohio State after one redshirt season at Alabama and a year at junior college.

Over three seasons in Atlanta, Sheffield started 20 games and saw time in 18 more. He recorded 72 solo tackles (101 total), six passes defended, and two forced fumbles. He was released in May and spent this past training camp with the Texans. After starting the 2022 season on the waived/injured reserve list, he was released by Houston in mid-October.

Sheffield’s most outstanding trait could be his speed. A track star in high school in Missouri City, he was a state champion in both 2014 and 2015. In 2018, he was named the fastest player in college football by NFL.com after setting a new Buckeyes mark in the 60-meter dash, breaking a record that had stood for 23 years.

The 26-year-old had a tryout with the New York Giants last week.

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Here’s what Jourdan Lewis’ injury could mean for Cowboys secondary moving forward

The Cowboys look to have suffered an injury to a key secondary member. Here’s a look at the impact it may have on playing time, roster moves and game strategy. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Cowboys appeared to be escaping their Week 7 contest against the Detroit Lions relatively unscathed. In the third quarter, sixth offensive lineman Matt Farniok was shaken up and left the game with a hamstring injury sustained on  point-after attempt following an Ezekiel Elliott score. Elliott himself avoided catastrophe after he was hit on his right knee, fortunately while the leg was in the air. He’d return to score Dallas’ first two touchdowns in the 24-6 win.

Tight end Dalton Schultz was tackled awkwardly on his injured knee, but returned to and finished the game. The same couldn’t be said for slot corner Jourdan Lewis, who suffered a foot injury following a fourth-quarter interception. According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, the club is concerned that it is a lisfranc injury, which would require surgery and sideline him for multiple weeks. The injury will have a ripple effect on Dan Quinn’s defense, which will enter Week 8 as the NFC’s best scoring defense.

Cowboys Jourdan Lewis leaves game with foot injury after clutch INT

The Cowboys’ nickel corner secured the third takeaway of the game, but suffered an injury in the process and was carted off the field. | From @CDBurnett7

The Cowboys’ offense with quarterback Dak Prescott back at the helm has looked explosive at times but hasn’t stayed out of their own way with flags and play-calling, forcing the defense to step up in big moments.

After forcing the goal line fumble to retain the lead, the Dallas defense was forced to get another key stop. Yet again, they ripped the momentum away from the opposing offense. Cornerback Jourdan Lewis dove for an interception right above the turf to give the Cowboys offense the ball right back.

Following the third Dallas takeaway, Lewis stayed down with an injury to his right leg. Medical staff helped Lewis to the sideline, who couldn’t put weight on his leg before carting him to the locker room.

Lewis’ 2022 season has been a strong one and the details of the injury are unknown but he’s not expected to return. In his absence, cornerback DaRon Bland will take over the Cowboys’ nickel corner spot.

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Cowboys CB Jourdan Lewis questionable to return after pregame injury

Cowboys nickel corner Jourdan Lewis suffered a groin injury pregame, with Dallas sending a rookie to take his place on the first drive. | From @CDBurnett7

Since being drafted by Dallas in 2017, cornerback Jourdan Lewis has made a living as the nickel corner for the Cowboys. Lewis has played in at least 15 games for the first five years of his career, becoming a consistent face on a defense that’s seen a lot of change.

While he had no injury designation, the Dallas defense took the field against the Commanders and Lewis was on the sideline without his helmet. Rookie cornerback DaRon Bland was the first to step into the nickel corner spot due to his absence.

Bland had an eye-opening training camp and preseason, setting him up for the backup nickel spot. Lewis suffered the groin injury pregame and the Cowboys quickly turned to the rookie to pick up the production. On the first defensive drive, Dallas stifled the Washington offense and Lewis is questionable to return in the game for later drives.

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Jourdan Lewis injures hamstring, could miss remainder of Cowboys camp

The sixth-year CB limped away from Wednesday’s practice, but expressed hope that he’ll be ready to go Week 1 versus Tom Brady and the Bucs. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Many Cowboys fans have been eager for Kelvin Joseph and rookie DaRon Bland to see more significant playing time at cornerback.

They may get their wish over the next few weeks.

Sixth-year veteran Jourdan Lewis suffered a hamstring injury Wednesday, limping off the field toward the end of the Cowboys’ joint practice with the Los Angeles Chargers. He did not return.

The 2017 third-round draft pick out of Michigan is scheduled for an MRI on Thursday, with the team joining the Chargers for another scrimmage.

Reports indicate that Lewis could miss the rest of training camp, but the player himself told reporters that he is hopeful he’ll be good to go for the Week 1 opener versus Tampa Bay in Dallas.

“I should be back for the first game,” Lewis said, according the Dallas Morning News.

Anthony Brown slid over to cover for Lewis for a game last season, but the team also has several young corners it has been collecting over the past few seasons to provide depth at the position. Joseph is in his third year and looking to make an impression that goes beyond his off-the-field troubles. Nahshon Wright came to Dallas in the same draft class as Joseph but is still learning how to use his impressive size at the pro level. Bland was a fifth-round selection this past spring and has created some buzz this offseason. Fellow rookies Isaac Taylor-Stuart and Quandre Mosely were signed as undrafted free agents.

The Cowboys have already cut one cornerback from the camp roster. Kyron Brown was waived last week with an injury designation.

How the team now proceeds at cornerback with Lewis shelved will be of particular interest, as the looming 2022 season opener brings 15-time Pro Bowl passer Tom Brady to town, with last year’s Super Bowl runner-up Joe Burrow to follow.

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