The Dallas Cowboys’ failure to properly self-scout has been one of their biggest shortcomings. Letting good players out of the building is one thing, but a spotty track record in the NFL Draft, paired with a conservative approach to free agency, can explain why they’ve missed the playoffs two years in a row.
Just on the defensive side of the ball, the Cowboys have parted with Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Jourdan Lewis, Stephon Gilmore, Dorance Armstrong, and Chauncey Golston. Of course, not every decision is created equal, but that is a lot of talent to lose.
Jerry Jones has been more willing to admit to personnel mistakes lately. While he remains adamant that trading Parsons was the right move for the franchise, he finally conceded that letting Jourdan Lewis leave last year was a big mistake (h/t to Cowboys reporter Patrik Walker).
“We lost the nickel [Lewis], and it hurt us more than we thought,” Jones said. “The nickel was a serious loss for us. It made a big difference not having [Lewis] out there. And, so, we have got to get better there.
The number one thing was we thought — when we lost our nickel last year — we could (put) Bland in and out. He wasn’t quite as suited to getting inside and being a nickel as we thought he would be.”
Cowboys’ Jerry Jones finally admits that losing Jourdan Lewis was a huge mistake
That quote speaks to the Cowboys’ inability to scout their own talent. How did Jones not realize at the time that losing Lewis was going to be a “serious loss”? Beyond being the most consistent member of the secondary, his bulldog mentality set the tone for teammates, and he was also influential as a leader behind the scenes.
The value of the nickel position has skyrocketed in recent years, which should have been factored into the equation. The Chiefs’ Trent McDuffie, the Bills’ Taron Johnson, and the Eagles’ Cooper DeJean are three of the best cornerbacks in football, and they all line up inside. The Seahawks have two stud nickels in Devon Witherspoon and rookie Nick Emmanwori, allowing head coach Mike Macdonald to maximize his scheme.
That isn’t to say there wouldn’t have been some risk in paying Lewis. He turned 30 in August and has had recurring foot issues. In fact, Lewis won’t be available to the Jaguars in the playoffs after he was shut down for the season due to a foot injury. He will undergo surgery.
Before the injury, though, Lewis made a transformative impact in Jacksonville’s secondary. In 12 games, he tallied 10 passes defended, two interceptions, five tackles for loss, and his 7.6 yards per reception allowed were the fewest among 75 CBs who played at least 350 coverage snaps, per PFF.
If the Cowboys had that kind of production in their secondary this season, their win total might look very different. Not even Micah Parsons could’ve saved Dallas from having a wretched defense, but Lewis would’ve brought consistency and leadership to a unit that clearly lacked both.
Letting him go is one of the bigger blunders on Jerry Jones’ resume, and that is not an exaggeration.
