Jourdan Lewis' replacement might already be on Dallas Cowboys roster thanks to overlooked free agency decision
One of the biggest problems surrounding the Dallas Cowboys' free agency one week into the frenzy is the loss of nickel cornerback Jourdan Lewis, who headed to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a contract the team could've absolutely made work with their salary cap situation. But such is life in the NFL and while Lewis gets his […]
One of the biggest problems surrounding the Dallas Cowboys' free agency one week into the frenzy is the loss of nickel cornerback Jourdan Lewis, who headed to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a contract the team could've absolutely made work with their salary cap situation.
But such is life in the NFL and while Lewis gets his much-deserved payday, the Cowboys are getting an increased need at cornerback. Specially with Trevon Diggs fighting back from injury and being a question mark for Week 1, it's a position they must address with urgency.
Fortunately, the emerging vacancy at slot cornerback might already have a solution on the roster.
That's because when the Cowboys decided to re-sign defensive back Israel Mukuamu to a one-year deal, they secured a starting-caliber nickelback. Mukuamu, a sixth-round draft pick back in 2021, has struggled to get on the field -and stay on it- in Dallas. He started out his career at safety and has been asked to play all over the field but for one reason or another, he has failed to crack the starting lineup.
Personally, I attribute that to the fact the Cowboys have had a quality secondary for a few years now. Trevon Diggs, DaRon Bland, and Lewis were never going to be sent to the sidelines by him. The same goes for Stephon Gilmore while he was in Dallas. What was surprising though is the Cowboys didn't seem to consider him a lot even when they were hit hard by the injury bug.
But those paying attention know Mukuamu was once tossed into the nickel spot when facing Tom Brady and Chris Godwin in the 2022-2023 playoffs. He was solid, forcing two incompletions in eight targets and allowing only a 69.3 passer rating.
If given the chance to start, Mukuamu, who told me early in his career he preferred to play cornerback over safety, has the traits necessary to be solid. Though he wouldn't be at the level of Lewis, he could be the frontrunner for the job even over second-year cornerback Caelen Carson.
In the meantime, Mukuamu is likely going to be a weapon for special teams coordinator Nick Sorensen, as the defensive back was second in special teams snaps in 2024.