When you look at the Dallas Cowboys roster, something that has really helped them the last few years is how good the backend of the defense has played.
For the first time in probably three years or so, this could be a weakness.
A weakness because not only did they lose Jourdan Lewis, but you have to remember Trevon Diggs is recovering from another injury.
Dallas Cowboys cornerback room after losing Jourdan Lewis to the Jaguars:
DaRon Bland
Trevon Diggs (could miss start of season)
Caelen Carson
Josh Butler (expected to miss majority of season)
Andrew Booth Jr.
Kemon Hall— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) March 10, 2025
Huge Loss
Let me first start by saying losing Lewis is a substantial loss for the Cowboys, who won’t have two of their three top corners when the season begins.
Lewis was an underrated player and a respected leader on the team. It is hard to grip that Dallas wouldn’t have wanted him back, this team won’t spend money on the outside, and they let a very good player walk.
After not even trying to resign Lewis, the Cowboys acquired cornerback Kaiir Elam from Buffalo on Wednesday, adding depth to a position with some questions as the Bills decided to move on from their 2022 first-round draft pick.
The Bills acquired two draft picks — a 2025 fifth-round selection and a 2026 seventh-rounder — while giving up a 2025 sixth-round choice to the Cowboys.
𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚: #Bills CB Kaiir Elam got absolutely COOKED by #Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster.
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 29, 2025
I personally am not a fan of Elam. He was not good in Buffalo and got picked on in the AFC title game by the Chiefs. Just check out this video above or check Twitter. A lot of folks are not a fan of the move.
Weather The Storm
Regardless if I liked it or not, they had to do something. They are gutted at the cornerback spot with Diggs hurt and losing Lewis.
For the second consecutive season, the Dallas Cowboys lost Trevon Diggs to a serious injury.
His missed game time was shorter this go-round, still playing in 11 games. But Diggs is reportedly set to miss all of the offseason and potentially parts of training camp.
Diggs last played in a game on Dec. 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Long-term injuries have been an issue for a couple of years now. Diggs tore his ACL in Week 2 of the 2023 season against the New York Jets, forcing him to miss the entire year.
The recovery process was a long one for Diggs but getting back on the field was a huge success.
He had a procedure called chondral tissue graft. This is surgery to repair damaged articular cartilage that lines the ends of bones in a joint.
It is going to be a lot of DaRon Bland, and they will need him to have another All-Pro type season.
Here was the #Cowboys CB room before the Kaiir Elam trade:
Daron Bland
Trevon Diggs (major knee injury)
Caelen Carson (major shoulder injury)
Josh Butler (torn ACL)
Kemon Hall (ended season on IR)
Andrew Booth (bad)— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) March 12, 2025
As of now, the Cowboys CB room has Bland and Elam as the starters, with Caelen Carson, Kemon Hall, Andrew Booth in the mix. That kinda hurts to look at.
Do I think they draft defense in the first round? Probably, but it will be on the defensive line and not at the cornerback position.
Derrick Harmon, a defensive lineman from Oregon, fits the bill if he is there.
Harmon does a lot of things well and would help give the Cowboys help with Osa Odighizuwa.
He would fit nicely in Matt Eberflus’ four-down defense. He’s likely never going to be a high-end sack guy, but Harmon can stay on the field because of his ability to affect the run and pass.
We will have to wait and see, but the front office hasn’t done anything to get us excited about the 2025 season, and it sucks that we will probably have to live with that.
Washington is only getting better, and we know what the Eagles bring, so they may be looking up all season long for the second year in a row.