The Cowboys have some tough decisions to make at cornerback

It was an interesting year for the defense of the Dallas Cowboys. With a new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and a slew of injuries, there were plenty of highs and lows. At times during the season, the defense was a hot mess, but things improved as the year progressed.

When you look at the season as a whole, there were some good things…

Sack percentage = 9.22%, second-best in the league
Third-down conversion rate = 36.6%, ninth-best in the league

And there were some bad things…

Points allowed per game = 27.5, second-worst in the league
Red zone scoring percentage = 75%, worst in the league
Opponent yards per pass = 7.9, second-worst in the league

The injuries took a toll, and no other unit faced more adversity than the cornerback position. The Cowboys’ top six cornerbacks all missed time dealing with different injuries. Top six guys! That’s crazy unlucky.

PLAYER
INJURY

Trevon Diggs
groin, knee, cartilage

DaRon Bland
foot, setback

Jourdan Lewis
neck

Caelen Carson
shoulder

Amani Oruwariye
foot

Josh Butler
knee

The Cowboys were fortunate to have such a deep group and for most of the season, they weren’t the liability they could have been. It didn’t get messy until they were forced to rely on CB#7 Andrew Booth.

Entering the new season, the Cowboys cornerback group situation is a little murky. They have some good players, but each has its own situation and brings uncertainty for the future. The front office has some tough decisions to make to ensure they are going down the right path as one wrong move can create some real problems later.

DECISION #1 – Re-sign Jourdan Lewis
It’s weird to say this, but Lewis might have been the Cowboys’ top-performing cornerback last season. A fan favorite who plays with great intensity, Lewis has had an interesting career thus far. Multiple coaching staffs have pushed him a bit down the depth chart, but in recent years he’s established himself as a reliable slot corner. The team values his contribution and re-upped him twice as his services haven’t been too expensive (three-year, $13.5 million, and then one-year, $2.82 million).

With Lewis coming off his best season as a pro, he should command a raise this offseason. He did a great job staying in the hip pocket of his receiver and played with a high level of physicality. He showed that he is an asset any defense would love to have. Even with a pay bump coming, the Cowboys should strongly consider giving Lewis his fourth contract as he’s proven a reliable player and a much-needed piece to the cornerback group.

DECISION #2 – How good do you feel about Caelen Carson?
After Carson’s Week 1 performance against the Cleveland Browns, it looked like the Cowboys had an embarrassment of riches at the cornerback position. They had two young All-Pros in Trevon Diggs and Daron Bland, a seasoned veteran in Lewis, and this fifth-round rookie that made people feel like the team landed a gem on Day 3 of the draft.

Unfortunately, those feelings didn’t last long. Carson dealt with a variety of problems, one of which was a shoulder injury that put him out of action for most of the season. In fact, we never saw him in action again after Week 11. In the time he did play, Carson showed some potential. He’s physical, has good speed, and great closing burst. But he also shows a lot of inconsistent footwork and can often be seen getting his body turned around causing him to be late to defend the pass.

There is something to work with for sure, but can he take a nice step forward and be someone the team can rely on as a starting outside cornerback, or will they need to go back to the well and draft another guy to develop? How they feel about him could be an important domino affecting other decisions, bringing us to the most important decision.

DECISION #3 – Picking between Trevon Diggs or DaRon Bland
When one of their young corners intercepts 11 passes in a season and the other one has an NFL record five pick-sixes, it became clear that a time would come when the Cowboys had to pick one or the other. Well, that time is approaching. This topic runs deep, so it warrants a separate discussion. For that reason, we’ve broken this article into two parts. Join us tomorrow as we’ll dive into which All-Pro cornerback the Cowboys should ride-or-die with.

Stay tuned…