Nearly a week has passed since Jourdan Lewis signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Dallas Cowboys still don’t have a suitable replacement. The team traded for Kaiir Elam from Buffalo, but former Cowboy Chidobe Awuzie could be the real solution.
Awuzie, 29, was drafted by Dallas in 2017 and stuck with the team until 2021. His tenure with the Cowboys was solid, and he improved in Cincinnati.
Last year, he made the switch to his third team, the Tennessee Titans, on a three-year deal. Yesterday, the team cut him from that contract.
Titans have released cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, who played in eight games for the team in 2024, including seven that he started.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2025
The former Colorado Buffalo has seen his best days in the NFL, and considering he hasn’t started more than 10 games since 2021, the end may be around the corner for him. That said, it’s hard to argue that he isn’t one of the better defensive backs available.
With the Cowboys in desperate need of cornerback help, and Awuzie in search of a chance to start, could a reunion between the two sides make sense?
The Case For: Why Awuzie To Dallas Makes Sense
DaRon Bland, Elam, Caelen Carson, Andrew Booth Jr., and special-teams ace C.J. Goodwin are the healthy bodies in the Cowboys’ cornerback room right now.
While Bland has All-Pro credentials, the guys behind him have virtually no NFL track record.
So as it would stand now, Cowboys have DaRon Bland and Elam as the starters with Caelen Carson, Kemon Hall, Andrew Booth in the mix. With Jourdan Lewis departure, wouldn't be surprised to see Dallas still in CB market in FA and the draft.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) March 12, 2025
Carson is a promising young option for Dallas, but he struggled to perform and stay healthy in his rookie season. Elam and Booth’s first-round history has kept them in the league, but they have struggled mightily to live up to the hype.
In short, cornerback is a mountain-sized need for the Cowboys right now.
Trevon Diggs’s health is in serious question, as was Bland’s last year, and the team seems focused on addressing the offense early in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Enter Awuzie, who is not far removed from a strong tenure with the Bengals and a $36M price tag to sign with Tennessee. Yes, his one year there didn’t pan out, but one could argue that it had more to do with younger corners on the roster emerging.
When you combine the Cowboys’ need at the position and Awuzie’s familiarity with the team and starting-level ability, you have a strong match.
In his first defensive drive back from injured reserve, Chidobe Awuzie records his first interception in two calendar years.
He took advantage of a bad pass by Mac Jones. pic.twitter.com/QPMiLdSR7R
— Blaine Kellar (@sports_bk) December 8, 2024
The only question is what he might cost, as Dallas has avoided giving out significant contracts once again this offseason. If it’s a one-year deal, however, they might just be willing to stomach a higher cost.
The Case Against: Why Dallas Should Avoid Awuzie
The NFL is a tough business. One minute you’re on top, and the next, the ride is over. Unfortunately for Awuzie, it appears right now as if he’s closer to the end.
He will turn 30 this May, he has just been released, and he missed 10 games last season with a nagging groin injury. For a cornerback, those three things are a bad sign of what may be left in the tank.
Cornerback lifespans in the league tend to be shorter, and Dallas may see Awuzie’s recent history and determine he isn’t worth signing at this point.
Awuzie signed a 3-year, $36M contract last year. Titans still paying him a good chunk of change for 2025 – almost no cap savings – so his next team likely gets a bargain. Injuries have been the issue over his career. https://t.co/SGc1EGps7E
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) March 15, 2025
If you don’t think a veteran can provide more than the young guys, you play the young guys.
Additionally, he may cost more than what the Cowboys are willing to spend. Chidobe Awuzie was a big fish in the free-agent market just one year ago, and a cornerback-needy team may be willing to pay him as such this time around, too.
For this fit to make sense, it would likely have to be on a one-year, incentive-based contract. That may be where his market ends up, but his price could also be higher than that.
If it is, and Awuzie demands a multi-year commitment, Dallas should turn its focus elsewhere to another veteran and at least one draft pick.