The Dallas Cowboys will have a lot of tough decisions to make this offseason. Their list of free agents is lengthy and disconcerting given the front office's penny-pinching nature.
Even though Dallas can't finish better than 9-8, we're hopeful the team's decision-makers will reward players who have balled out in a contract year with a new deal. It would be smart to get some - or at least one - of those deals done before the end of the season so as to prevent them from reaching free agency, but beggars can't be choosers.
Some players who fit that bill are Osa Odighizuwa and Rico Dowdle. Odighizuwa is an invaluable piece to the defensive line, while Dowdle has proven to be a capable starting running back. Both players will hopefully be back, and Jourdan Lewis should be right next to them on the priority list.
An elbow injury forced Lewis to sit out the fourth quarter of Sunday's win over the Panthers. The Cowboys haven't revealed the details of Lewis' injury. It looked painful and was wrapped to the nines after the game.
Lewis was limited Wednesday and Thursday, but he left little doubt about his status with a truly awesome quote that encapsulates who he is as a player and who the Cowboys should strive to be as a team.
Jourdan Lewis' quote on elbow injury proves why Cowboys should re-sign him
"It's football," Lewis said, via Patrik Walker of the team's official website. "I'm a little banged up, but I feel I can go out there and play."
That quote is exactly why the Cowboys need to bring Lewis back. He's one of the toughest players in the league and that is not an overstatement. He's a bulldog in every sense of the word. That is one of the highest forms of flattery you can bestow on a football player.
Lewis has been an unsung hero throughout his career. It's been no different in 2024 given he's generated next to zero Pro Bowl buzz. Though his interception and passes defended are down, he's in the midst of his best season to date.
Among 46 cornerbacks who've played at least 400 coverage snaps, Lewis' 77.0 coverage grade ranks 10th, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He's also first at the position in average depth of target (5.6), seventh in receiving yards allowed (342), eighth in yards allowed per catch (9.5) and 12th in percentage of targets got (69.2%).
Known for packing a punch against the run, Lewis' 19 defensive stops, which are tackles that constitute a failure for the offense, are the most among cornerbacks.
Every team needs a Jourdan Lewis on their roster. The Cowboys have been lucky to call him theirs for the last eight years and they would be foolish not to extend the partnership another year.