Cornerback was arguably the biggest need for the Dallas Cowboys when the season ended. It didn't take long into the free-agent frenzy for it to make the leap to No. 1 when the Jaguars made Jourdan Lewis the game's highest-paid nickel corner.
It was a deserved pay day for Lewis, albeit one that Dallas should have gave him after the 2023 season when he was one of the team's best defenders in the final two months.
The Cowboys have yet to sign a cornerback, but they at least traded for former Bills first-round pick Kaiir Elam. While a viable depth piece, Elam cannot be trusted to start opposite DaRon Bland to start the season.
In need of an experienced corner, Dallas reportedly made a run at Ravens free agent Brandon Stephens before he got a three-year, $36 million deal from the Jets. That was the first we've heard of the front office taking a swing at a cornerback in free agency.
The market is drying up fast, but the door has burst open for Dallas to reunite with a former starter after a surprise release.
Chidobe Awuzie would plug a huge hole for the Cowboys
Chidobe Awuzie was released by the Titans over the weekend one year into a three-year contract he signed last March. A groin injury limited Awuzie to eight games in 2024. His release came just days before he was owed a $3.98 million roster bonus on Monday. It's a puzzling move for Tennessee, though, being it will cost $12.5 million in dead money.
That is of no concern to the Cowboys, however.
They are desperate for a starting-caliber corner and Awuzie has started 81 games in his eight seasons in the league. He is also a former second-round pick of Dallas in 2017. He started six games as a rookie and went on to become an integral piece in their secondary before he left as a free agent after the final year of his rookie contract.
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In four seasons, Awuzie logged four interceptions and an impressive 36 passes defended. He's been targeted 456 times in his career and has allowed just a 60.5% completion rate as the nearest defender, per PFF (subscription required).
Simply put, Awuzie is a good player when healthy and he's played over 4,300 snaps on the outside in his career compared to just 211 in the slot. The 29-year-old is the ideal placeholder for Trevon Diggs, who could miss most of the season after offseason knee surgery.
Fresh off being released, it's doubtful Awuzie will fetch a big contract. He has a history with the Cowboys and was on the team when new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus was the linebackers coach, so there's a familiarity there as well.
A reunion makes perfect sense for both sides.