The Cowboys no longer felt like they needed Jourdan Lewis.
Six games into life with his new team, Lewis is proving the Cowboys were wrong.
The veteran cornerback has fast become a fixture in the Jaguarsâ secondary, causing some to wonder if Dallas shouldâve done more to keep him from leaving.
As Brandon Loree of Blogging the Boys tweeted Tuesday, Lewis has played every defensive snap this season while allowing the second-lowest completion percentage (53.6%) in the NFL when aligned at nickel cornerback.
That stat grabbed the attention of the NFL Daily Podcastâs Gregg Rosenthal, who bemoaned the Cowboysâ decision to let Lewis walk last offseason.
âSo much of the Cowboys falling short over the last two decades comes down to failures in self-scouting,â Rosenthal wrote.
Lewis Has No Regrets About Leaving Dallas
The Jaguars made Lewis the NFLâs highest-paid nickel cornerback with a three-year, $30 million contract in March. The record-breaking deal included $20 million guaranteed and $12.5 million for his first year in Jacksonville.
Clearly relieved to be out of Dallas, Lewis didnât waste time putting his former team on blast.
âHighest-rated slot coverage grade and all we did was match and man,â tweeted Lewis, whoâd spent his entire eight-year career with the Cowboys.
In another tweet, Lewis ripped the teamâs organizationâs culture, saying, âIâm sorry yâall. This is about a decade of frustration, Iâm done.â
Lewis was drafted in the third round (92nd overall) in 2017 out of Michigan and quickly became one of the top players on Dallasâ defense.
He appeared in 115 games, not including the playoffs, over eight seasons with the Cowboys, recording 386 tackles, 10 interceptions, 9.5 sacks and nine fumble recoveries.
Asked at his introductory press conference about finally moving on from the Cowboys, Lewis suggested it was simply time.
âItâs funny. Every offseason, I think I am,” Lewis said. âBut this time, it just felt a little different. Because, you know, I had the season I had last year, and people started to recognize the type of player I was. So, you know, it couldn’t be hidden anymore. ⦠So that’s when I recognized, when I had the year, and I felt the buzz. I knew that, you know, maybe it might be my time to, you know, separate.”
Cowboys’ Defense Ranks Near Bottom of NFL
The 30-year-old Lewis has settled in nicely in Jacksonville, recording 23 tackles, two interceptions and seven passes defended over his first six games.
While the Jaguars rank 30th in the NFL against the pass (256.3 yards allowed per game), they are eighth in scoring defense (20.0 points allowed game game) and lead the league in interceptions (10) and total takeaways (14).
The Cowboys, meanwhile, are dead last in total defense (411.7 yards allowed per game) and second-to-last in points allowed (30.7). They also have only two interceptions.
Based on that alone, it’s fair to wonder if the Cowboys regret moving on from Lewis.
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