HEADLINES

Jourdan Lewis

Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs Suffers ACL Tear In Practice

September 21st, 2023 at 9:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Trevon Diggs suffered a knee injury in practice Thursday, and it will deal a considerable blow to their vaunted defense. The All-Pro defender left Dallas’ facility today on crutches and went through an MRI, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News reports. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports the MRI revealed an ACL tear. The Cowboys have since confirmed Diggs is expected to miss the season’s remainder.

Diggs went down during a one-on-one drill, per ESPN’s Todd Archer, and an NFL.com report minutes earlier expressed the fear of a serious injury. The Cowboys gave Diggs a five-year, $97MM extension during training camp. While this development highlights the importance of Diggs locking in that deal when he did, it strips Dan Quinn‘s defense of a quality starter.

Through two games, Diggs had intercepted a pass and notched a forced fumble. He is two years removed from an 11-interception season — the most in a single slate since Everson Walls’ Cowboys rookie year produced 11 in 1981 — and had just begun his age-25 season. Diggs turned 25 on Wednesday.

The Cowboys began to build their cornerback group around Diggs early, drafting him after letting Byron Jones walk in 2020. A second-round pick out of Alabama, Diggs became an immediate starter. He has developed an earned reputation as a gambler; Pro Football Focus has yet to assign him a top-40 grade for a season. Nevertheless, the 6-foot-1 cover man resides as a key starter for a Cowboys team that entered the season carrying Super Bowl aspirations.

Routs of the Giants and Jets gave the Cowboys a staggering plus-60 point differential ahead of Week 3. The team had assembled a stronger cornerback group this year, acquiring Stephon Gilmore via trade. The Cowboys will depend on the 33-year-old corner remaining in form this season, as they no longer will have Diggs teaming with the former Defensive Player of the Year. Gilmore’s Colts-constructed contract expires after this season.

This also continues a trend for the Cowboys, who lost Jourdan Lewis and Anthony Brown to season-ending injuries last year. Brown is now with the 49ers; Lewis remains with the Cowboys. Lewis, 28, suffered a Lisfranc fracture in October 2022. The seventh-year veteran made his season debut in Week 2, playing 10 defensive snaps. In addition to Lewis, the Cowboys have Noah Igbinoghene — acquired in a corner-for-corner trade that sent Kelvin Joseph to the Dolphins — and sixth-round rookie Eric Scott Jr. rostered. DaRon Bland remains as Dallas’ top slot corner. Nahshon Wright is on Dallas’ IR; he can return in Week 5.

Bland moving outside to team with Gilmore, while Lewis steps back into the slot, represents a potential course of action for the team, Archer adds. This plan looks set to be how Dallas will align their corners after this injury, with Moore and NFL.com’s Jane Slater adding Lewis is on track to move back into the starting lineup. Lewis, who will kick Bland outside, played at least 74% of Dallas’ defensive snaps from 2019-21. Lewis remains attached to a three-year, $13.5MM deal agreed to in 2021. This will be new territory for Bland, in the NFL at least; he stepped in for Brown in the slot when the latter suffered an Achilles tear in December of last year.

The Cowboys identified Diggs as an extension candidate going into camp; he joined CeeDee Lamb and Terence Steele as such. Steele followed Diggs by signing a lucrative extension. Lamb’s fifth-year option always made him a more logical 2024 extension target. The Cowboys guaranteed Diggs $33.3MM at signing; an additional $9MM is guaranteed for injury. Diggs’ $19.4MM AAV ranks fifth among corners.

Signing the deal effectively ties Diggs to the Cowboys for two seasons, with 2025 representing an escape hatch. The Cowboys will presumably hope for a longer-term partnership, but Diggs now must go through a several-month rehab process. Considering the opportunity the Cowboys have this season, it would not surprise to see them dig deeper into the trade market to see if an upgrade exists. For now, they are without one of their core performers.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/25/23

July 25th, 2023 at 7:43pm CST by Ben Levine

With a number of teams preparing for the start of training camp, a long list of players were placed on inactive lists today. We’ve compiled all of those and today’s other minor moves below:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Free Agents

Isaiah Wilson hasn’t had an NFL gig since he was released by the Giants in January of 2022. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the free agent lineman was slapped with a three-game suspension, but it’s uncertain what led to the temporary ban. Wilson was a first-round pick by the Titans in 2020 but got into only one game with Tennessee before getting shipped off to Miami. He was waived by Miami after showing up late to his team physical, and his practice squad stint with New York only lasted one season.

Max Garcia is an experienced addition to the Saints OL room, with the veteran having most recently started seven of his 12 appearances with the Cardinals in 2022. The 31-year-old has 59 games of starting experience, although Pro Football Focus was iffy on his production last year (63rd among 77 qualifying offensive guards).

Following a three-year stint in Cleveland, Terrance Mitchell has spent the past two seasons bouncing around the NFL. He got into 14 games (13 starts) for the Texans in 2021, finishing with 60 tackles and 10 passes defended. He spent the 2022 season with the Titans, finishing with 39 tackles in 11 games (five starts). 49ers fifth-round pick Darrell Luter Jr. is set to miss some time with a knee injury, providing Mitchell with an opportunity during training camp.

Latest On Cowboys’ CB Situation

June 16th, 2023 at 1:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys finished last season without two veteran cornerbacks, losing Jourdan Lewis and Anthony Brown to major injuries. Brown’s contract expired, and the seven-year vet is a free agent. Lewis remains on the team but is not a lock to be ready for the season.

Lewis was told he suffered a severe Lisfranc fracture, per the Dallas Morning News’ David Moore, and he acknowledged the battle will be avoiding the reserve/PUP list. That designation would sideline him for four games to start the season. But Lewis is a near-certainty to begin training camp on the shelf. With Lewis ticketed for the active/PUP list next month, Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones said (via The Athletic’s Jon Machota) a cornerback addition will probably be considered.

Jones noted that such a move might be for depth purposes, and the Cowboys already made their splashy corner addition in March. They sent a 2023 fifth-round pick to the Colts for Stephon Gilmore. The former Defensive Player of the Year will join Trevon Diggs as Dallas’ outside cornerbacks. Lewis may become a factor in the slot again, but for the time being, the former third-round pick is not in the picture.

Lewis’ primary replacement following his October injury, DaRon Bland, worked in the slot at minicamp. After beginning last season as a backup and special-teamer, Bland started eight games and graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 48 overall corner. Bland intercepted four passes in the Cowboys’ final six games and played every defensive snap for the team in the playoffs. That grade aside, the 6-foot-2 corner still allowed five touchdown passes as the closest defender in coverage.

The Cowboys are not planning to reduce Bland’s role, with Machota noting he is expected to be a top-three corner alongside Diggs and Gilmore to start his sophomore NFL slate (subscription required). This plan extending into the regular season stands to complicate matters for Lewis and Kelvin Joseph. The team tried the former second-rounder in the slot during its offseason program. Despite Joseph’s draft pedigree, he has not carved out much of a role in Dallas. He has played 330 defensive snaps in 26 career games. Bland looks to be firmly ahead of the former No. 44 overall pick exiting minicamp.

Lewis, who will turn 28 later this summer, is entering the final season of a three-year, $13.5MM deal. The 43-game starter is due a $4.5MM base salary and counts $5.9MM against the Cowboys’ cap. The Cowboys drafted a corner — Eric Scott Jr. — in the sixth round and still have 2021 third-rounder Nahshon Wright on the roster. Lewis, who was on crutches during part of the spring, has been running since May, per Moore. In order to position himself for a notable third contract, the Michigan product will need to show he has recovered from this injury this season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/26/22

October 26th, 2022 at 6:54pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Cowboys CB Jourdan Lewis Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery

October 24th, 2022 at 10:00am CST by Adam La Rose

The Cowboys saw the return of their starting quarterback yesterday, but lost a first-teamer on defense during yesterday’s win over the Lions. Slot corner Jourdan Lewis suffered a Lisfranc injury, and has undergone season-ending surgery, per ESPN’s Todd Archer (Twitter link).

Lewis suffered the injury on the play in which he recorded his first interception of the campaign. It marks an end to his sixth season in the league, all of which have been spent in Dallas, and a significant blow to the Cowboys’ secondary. 2022 had been the third consecutive season – and fourth overall – in which Lewis logged a starter’s workload, with 79% overall snap share.

The 27-year-old had also dealt with a hamstring issue during the preseason, but was able to recover in time for Week 1. In six-plus contests this year, Lewis notched 26 tackles, one sack and one pass deflection to go along with the interception. Expectations were high for him after he set new career-highs in picks (three) and PBUs (11) last season.

Instead, this injury could leave the former fourth-rounder’s Cowboys future in question. Lewis is under contract for one more season after he inked a three-year deal last March. He is due $4.5MM in salary in 2023, but has a scheduled cap hit of over $6.1MM. Since no guaranteed compensation remains on his pact, the Cowboys would save $5MM by releasing him in the offseason – something they could consider doing, depending on his recovery progress.

With Lewis sidelined, fifth-round rookie DaRon Bland is expected to take on the starter’s role in his place. The Fresno State product has played in all seven games this season, but yesterday marked only the second time in which he saw any snaps on defense. The first was the team’s Week 4 win over the Commanders; if Bland can replicate his performance from that day (during which he notched an interception) throughout the remainder of the season, the loss of Lewis would be cushioned for Dallas’ strong pass defense.

Cowboys CB Jourdan Lewis Out For Remainder Of Preseason

August 19th, 2022 at 5:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Cowboys are dealing with a number of injuries in their receiving corps right now, but another position group will be shorthanded for at least a few weeks. Slot corner Jourdan Lewis suffered a hamstring injury in practice earlier this week, per Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News. 

As a result of the injury, Lewis will miss the remainder of training camp and the Cowboys’ two remaining preseason games. His timetable beyond that point is unclear; head coach Mike McCarthy said that more will be known only after he begins the rehab process. McCarthy did add, however, that “the immediate goal is to get him [back] for Week 1.’

Lewis, 26, has regained the role he had as a rookie in 2017 over the past two years, with snap percentages in the 70s. He had a career-year last campaign with three interceptions, 11 pass deflections and 61 total tackles – further proving the three-year extension he signed last March to be worthwhile. Missing any significant time in the regular season would, of course, be a major blow to the Cowboys’ secondary, which played a large role in the team’s surprising success on defense last season.

As Watkins notes, Dallas has a few options to replace Lewis in the short-term. Outside corner Anthony Brown could move inside, which would elevate Kelvin Joseph (who last month was cleared of all wrongdoing in association with a shooting investigation) to a starting position on the perimeter. Alternatively, the Cowboys could turn to fifth-round rookie DaRon Bland in the slot, which would leave Brown and Trevon Diggs on the outside.

The Cowboys’ two remaining preseason games could shed light on their plan to fill in for Lewis if doing so proves necessary in September. In the meantime, the progress he makes with respect to recovery will be worth watching.

NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 12/30/21

December 30th, 2021 at 3:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s reserve/COVID-19 list updates:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

  • Activated from virus list: OL Cody Ford, CB Cam Lewis
  • Activated from practice squad virus list: TE Quintin Morris

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

  • Placed on practice squad virus list: LB Omari Cobb

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

NFL COVID List Updates: 12/24/21

December 24th, 2021 at 6:14pm CST by Ely Allen

We’ve compiled a list of players who were placed on or activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list today. In some instances, players activated from the list remain on IR:

Baltimore Ravens

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: S Chuck Clark, C Trystan Colon
  • Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: RB Nate McCrary
  • Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: QB Chris Streveler

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Jordan Fuller, TE Tyler Higbee
  • Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: OL Cole Williamson

Miami Dolphins

  • Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: RB Gerrid Doaks

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Travis Homer
  • Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: OL Pier-Olivier Lestage

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Cowboys Re-Sign Jourdan Lewis

March 17th, 2021 at 6:49pm CST by Rory Parks

The Cowboys are bringing back cornerback Jourdan Lewis, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). Lewis’ new contract will be for three years and and is worth up to $16.5MM, including $8MM in guarantees.

Lewis started a career-high 13 games in 2020 after struggling a bit for playing time with Kris Richard in charge of the DBs from 2018-19. However, that doesn’t mean that he performed well, as he graded out as one of the worst corners in the league according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics. He was frequently beaten by opposing receivers, and some believe that the Cowboys would do well to shift him over to safety.

After all, he has demonstrated solid ball skills and playmaking ability, with four interceptions, four fumble recoveries, six sacks, and a defensive score over his four-year career. And the one area in which PFF considered him an above-average performer was pass rushing.

Whether or not Dallas serious entertains the notion of changing Lewis’ position remains to be seen, but obviously the club has seen enough upside to keep him around for another several seasons. After losing Chidobe Awuzie to the Bengals, the Cowboys made sure to keep another homegrown DB from the 2017 draft in the building.

Cowboys Promote Brandon Carr From Practice Squad

September 12th, 2020 at 2:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brandon Carr‘s unusual status on a practice squad changed Saturday. The Cowboys will promote him in advance of their Week 1 game against the Rams, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News tweets.

The Cowboys brought back their former five-year cornerback starter days ago and will make him part of their 55-man game-day roster. The 2020 CBA allows for two practice squad players to be promoted to the active roster without a corresponding roster move each week. Teams can have 48 players active on game days this season, up from 46.

Carr will rejoin a Cowboys roster that lost its top corner from the past two seasons — Byron Jones — but the 12-year veteran may well see his 12-year start streak snapped. Since being selected in the fifth round in 2008, Carr has started all 192 games in which he has played for the Chiefs, Cowboys and Ravens.

The Ravens did not pick up Carr’s 2020 option, sending the iron-man defender back to free agency. Carr could fill multiple roles for Dallas. He saw time at safety with Baltimore last season. The Cowboys released Ha Ha Clinton-Dix last week, leaving their safety position again uncertain going into a season.

Dallas drafted corners Trevon Diggs and Reggie Robinson — in the second and fourth rounds, respectively — and signed Daryl Worley to help fill the void Jones’ free agency departure created. The team returns both Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis and Anthony Brown, who re-signed in March. However, Lewis will miss Week 1 with an ankle injury.

Load More Posts