The Dallas Cowboys secondary is entering the 2018 season with high expectations, although we are still a long way from knowing exactly how this unit will be deployed. Now coached by former Seahawks DC Kris Richard, second-year players like Jourdan Lewis and Chidobe Awuzie can build on solid rookie campaigns to become top starters.
For Lewis, so far this offseason, the first step of this process must be getting on the field. Playing in 15 games as the Cowboys third round pick in 2017, Lewis outplayed his draft status and became the steal Dallas always knew he could be.
Primarily lining up as an inside player at Michigan, Lewis was impressive in his transition to the next level while also learning how to play on the outside. The 5102 (5′ 1 2/8″) cornerback brought the same athletic cover skills and instincts to this “new” position.
These are certainly traits that Kris Richard will love to see, but so too is the trademark height and length of his former “Legion of Boom” defenses. Such has been the case for the Cowboys through OTAs and into this week’s mini camp, where third-year Cornerback Anthony Brown has continued to impress out of the slot.
Understandably, Lewis will have a hard time keeping his job as a boundary corner over Chidobe Awuzie and Byron Jones. Drafted a round before Lewis in 2017, Awuzie recovered from injury in his rookie season to appear in 10 games. In Awuzie and Jones, the Cowboys have their ideal mold for two physical cornerbacks on the outside.
It is Jones’ move from safety down to corner that was Richard’s most immediate impact on his new secondary. His next act may very well have to be finding a spot for Jourdan Lewis.
Playing almost unnaturally poised as a sixth round rookie in 2016, the Cowboys working Anthony Brown back to form is far from a bad thing. Brown is the perfect depth piece for any secondary to have, capable of lining up anywhere and adding speed to a defense.
Already proving that he can do much of the same, the Cowboys will be making a mistake if Brown’s continued progress stunts the growth of Lewis. Whether or not both players can coexist on the field at the same time will be another hurdle for both Richard and Rod Marinelli to handle, as Richard’s Passing Game Coordinator responsibilities spill into the coverage assignments of the linebackers.
Favoring Nickel defenses that keep two linebackers on the field, Marinelli has been reluctant to play two cornerbacks like Lewis and Brown at the same time. Right now, these are two players competing for one spot.
Going from a potential fringe player on the roster to one regaining his confidence, Anthony Brown should be looked at as a great developing story for Dallas this season. As the true battle for roster spots begins in Oxnard for training camp though, Brown will have to put aside any previous praise if he’s truly looking to hold off Jourdan Lewis from contributing for the Cowboys.
Theirs nothing wrong with playing the right guys for the right situation . In game player personnel has been a concern for a while with this team .Kris Richard(aka our new head coach) didnt need all year to realize that Jourdan Lewis isnt and shouldn’t be a outside corner, in the same boat as Anthony Brown pretty much .Lewis will get his playing time but most of it will and should be in the slot where he belongs
Much has been written about Richard’s preference for long and physical corners, as well as safeties. But I’m pretty sure that if I dredge up articles from the past before Richard arrived, there was already a bias to those types in the defensive backfield. So, Richard has inherited an ideal situation with players that mirror his affinity. That being said, Richard has also stated that “Lewis is the exception to the rule.” Now did he say that because he intends for him to get that spot, or to make him feel secure, or for any other reason. For me, I don’t care who starts…I just want to see the best 4 starters, and the best personnel in all situational lineups. I like all the guys but I trust Richard to do his thing.
i can’t believe we are thinking of jones over lewis now. jones might have the size and all but he cannot cover, nor can he tackle, jones has not lived up to his #1 pick and its time to move on from him.
i would trade him, send him to seattle and a pick for ET.
Jones is the fastest man on the defense
Clocked by the NFL radar tracking device in live game play
Remember the play when either Beast Mode or the Atlanta player beat Dallas’ secondary, (Lewis, Awuzie, Brown , Jones, Heath, & Scandrick)
Jones 360’d & ran him down 40yrds down field saving a touchdown?
I think Dallas held them to a fieldgoal
He did decent his rookie year as corner but the position flex curse bit him like it has Jones, Crawford, & other Cowboys
Now cover skills maybe redefined by Richard,
Again, we want the best & maybe prior coaches had alot more wrong than have yet to be revealed
I’m more glad to have much great talent than not quite enough
oh without a doubt he is a great athlete, but, is he a great football player? i often question that.
i remember that play well, i also remember a lot of plays where he was out of position, where he was beat on the first move, where is was trailing a TE, and where he was soft coming up to make a tackle, then arm tackling.
i hope he can figure it out, imo, lewis is a much better corner than jones will ever be, just because jones was a 1 pick the coaching staff feels that he has to play/be on the field. i like some of the younger FA over him…..
again i think we need to move on
Team synopsis in my personal catch-phrase, in my opinion is this
(And it applys to J Lewis, A. Brown etc)
Due to several key assistant coach changes in one off season
One can of legitimately assume player under-development
This doesn’t negate Lewis being beat & out of position on plays
However,
How much if these mistakes can be attributed to poor coaching /pooe coaching schemes
It’s like, Heath, Woods, Awuzie , Jones etc all got beat & were lit if position many times
It was deemed grow g pains & rightfully so
But one missed assignment can make the closest man look responsible
&
Defenses should scheme to back up rookies for the most part
Yet, 3+ yr vets played beneath Lewis & Awuzie according to ESPN, PFF , & other prestigious NFL analysists assessments
They play lights out despite getting beat & such vs the rest of NFL corners
You can’t throw the baby out wit the dirty water
Players improve most between 1st & 2nd seasons
Now they’ve upgraded all met positions fat lacked
Let’s give a loner sassing before pulling the plug on major production
Nobody expected Dallas’s secondary to perform remotely close to what they did
Only time will truly tell as always
The very writer of this article said one of, if not the most important fact, under development of the player/team
Neither Brown nor Lewis growth needs be stunted
Just as I feel teams greatly hinder players by not mixing 1st & 2nd stringers together in practice
By doing such, (or not doing such), you disadvantage say perhaps Cooper Rush being thrust into a game with no to little chemistry with the 1st team guys
Fumbled snaps, dropped passes, misreading coverages, on & on
GET IT?!
Certain game personnel will warrant Lewis over Brown or vice/versa
Or
Frazier over Heath, etc
But to deny mixed-practice sufficiently obviously denies crucial familiarality with key positions in live game occurrences
I just can’t believe how this isn’t a commonly known fact & practice
For instance
A rookie or first time starter/participant gets his golden opportunity only not to have a needed chemistry with a person(s) vital to the success of that one play ,,,,
,,,,,The play fails for the lack of at least 1 of the 11 in the field not being in sync/quite in sync
That player looks awful & blamed, ( & maybe rightfully so) as far as assignment but guilty via not having ever practiced with the starters, (coaching) in all actuality
So Lewis & all players need an emergency practice on a regular basis with the staeters to warrant off worse case scenarios
Dallas need to be the first to implement this & not wait for hindsight and/or another team or coach prove the validity of this approach
But
I feel as I’ve commented before on the Jordan Lewis delimma that Richard could also be seeing if Anthony Brown has what it takes at the same time he’s testing Lewis’s patience/attitude
Maybe it’s trade potential for either or both or another CB altogether
It’s just far too early to tell & I honestly want the absolute best 22 in the field for our success
I just personally feel Jordan Lewis played better than Anthony Brown & I’m waiting to see comparison of both their first year stats & rankings
But make no mistake about it, time will truly tell
&
Quite soon I might add