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The Dallas Cowboys lost a significant piece of their defense when slot corner Jourdan Lewis signed with the Jaguars earlier in the week. He didn't receive the attention that stars like Micah Parsons or Trevon Diggs did, but he was an versatile piece on the field, with 10 career interceptions and 9.5 sacks, as well as in the Cowboys' locker room. Those are primary reasons he earned a three-year, $30 million deal with Jacksonville.
The team doesn't have many options to replace him on the roster, either. Daron Bland could slide into the slot, but he is an All-Pro playing on the outside, and the Cowboys don't have great options to replace him on the boundary. Israel Mukuamu was re-signed to a one-year deal, but hasn't been a consistent player. The Cowboys need to bring in a veteran to play the inside corner spot so they aren't forced to draft someone and hope he can contribute as a rookie.
Here's a look at three players still on the market who Matt Eberflus could try to bring in; all different types of players depending on what he wants from that position.
Kendall Fuller is a nine-year veteran who will only be 30 years old at the start of the season and has played over 2,400 snaps in the slot and more than 4,100 on the outside. He is 5-foot-11, 198 pounds, and has 31.5-inch arms, so he has a bigger body than Lewis did and fits what the Cowboys have always wanted from their defensive backs.
Fuller is solid in coverage as well as versus the run. He has had a run defense grade from Pro Football Focus (PFF) between 73 and 83 in the last four seasons, and his coverage grade went down 20 points in his one season in Miami, but in 2023 it was over 82. Fuller is a capable corner who can play all over the field but would be the primary replacement in the slot.
Mike Hilton would need to be a signing that Eberflus requested because he doesn't fit what the Dallas front office likes from their corners. He is only 5-foot-9 and 184 pounds and has shorter arms, but if Eberflus could get him in the building, he would be a difference-maker in the run game.
In the new defensive scheme, corners have to play the run, and Hilton might be the best in the league against the run at cornerback. Last season, he had a PFF run defense grade of 91.7, was 15th amongst corners in tackles with 63, and was top three in run stops with 38. He had 157 tackles, including 24 for a loss in the last two years. Hilton played over 4,000 snaps in the slot and isn't a liability in coverage, with a coverage grade of over 80 in 2023 and nearly 70 last season. He also showed up against the teams in the Cowboys division with PFF grades of 76.7 against the Philidelphia Eagles, 75.6 against the Washington Commanders, and 80.7 against the New York Giants.
Artie Burns fits the criteria Dallas has tried to sign this offseason. He is a former first-round pick under 30. He meets the criteria for defensive backs in Dallas as well. He is over six-feet tall, weighs almost 200 pounds, and has arms over 33 inches. He is still on the market because he can't seem to stay healthy.
He has only played in 21 games over the last three seasons but plays well when he is on the field. In 2023, he had a PFF grade over 65 in all major categories and allowed only 159 yards and no touchdowns. Last season, he was playing his best ball before getting injured again. He had an overall PFF grade of 88.6 and an 89.6 coverage grade. He played almost exclusively in the slot the last two years, so he can do it even at his larger size. Dallas has already signed Payton Turner, who has been injured for most of his first five years. Burns could be a second option to that strategy.
You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or Bluesky @mike-crum-cdpiglet.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Free agency options for Dallas Cowboys to replace corner Jourdan Lewis
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The team doesn't have many options to replace him on the roster, either. Daron Bland could slide into the slot, but he is an All-Pro playing on the outside, and the Cowboys don't have great options to replace him on the boundary. Israel Mukuamu was re-signed to a one-year deal, but hasn't been a consistent player. The Cowboys need to bring in a veteran to play the inside corner spot so they aren't forced to draft someone and hope he can contribute as a rookie.
Here's a look at three players still on the market who Matt Eberflus could try to bring in; all different types of players depending on what he wants from that position.
CB Kendall Fuller
Kendall Fuller is a nine-year veteran who will only be 30 years old at the start of the season and has played over 2,400 snaps in the slot and more than 4,100 on the outside. He is 5-foot-11, 198 pounds, and has 31.5-inch arms, so he has a bigger body than Lewis did and fits what the Cowboys have always wanted from their defensive backs.
Fuller is solid in coverage as well as versus the run. He has had a run defense grade from Pro Football Focus (PFF) between 73 and 83 in the last four seasons, and his coverage grade went down 20 points in his one season in Miami, but in 2023 it was over 82. Fuller is a capable corner who can play all over the field but would be the primary replacement in the slot.
CB Mike Hilton
Mike Hilton would need to be a signing that Eberflus requested because he doesn't fit what the Dallas front office likes from their corners. He is only 5-foot-9 and 184 pounds and has shorter arms, but if Eberflus could get him in the building, he would be a difference-maker in the run game.
In the new defensive scheme, corners have to play the run, and Hilton might be the best in the league against the run at cornerback. Last season, he had a PFF run defense grade of 91.7, was 15th amongst corners in tackles with 63, and was top three in run stops with 38. He had 157 tackles, including 24 for a loss in the last two years. Hilton played over 4,000 snaps in the slot and isn't a liability in coverage, with a coverage grade of over 80 in 2023 and nearly 70 last season. He also showed up against the teams in the Cowboys division with PFF grades of 76.7 against the Philidelphia Eagles, 75.6 against the Washington Commanders, and 80.7 against the New York Giants.
CB Artie Burns
Artie Burns fits the criteria Dallas has tried to sign this offseason. He is a former first-round pick under 30. He meets the criteria for defensive backs in Dallas as well. He is over six-feet tall, weighs almost 200 pounds, and has arms over 33 inches. He is still on the market because he can't seem to stay healthy.
He has only played in 21 games over the last three seasons but plays well when he is on the field. In 2023, he had a PFF grade over 65 in all major categories and allowed only 159 yards and no touchdowns. Last season, he was playing his best ball before getting injured again. He had an overall PFF grade of 88.6 and an 89.6 coverage grade. He played almost exclusively in the slot the last two years, so he can do it even at his larger size. Dallas has already signed Payton Turner, who has been injured for most of his first five years. Burns could be a second option to that strategy.
You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or Bluesky @mike-crum-cdpiglet.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Free agency options for Dallas Cowboys to replace corner Jourdan Lewis
Continue reading...
