Dallas Cowboys: 3 Players to proactively re-sign this summer

Dallas Cowboys Player to Re-sign No. 2: Chidobe Awuzie

Cornerback/Safety

Age: 25

Chidobe Awuzie doesn’t enjoy the same love and support from Cowboys Nation as Xavier Woods does. Despite being similarly rated at his respective position, Chido has felt the ire of Cowboys fans. Perhaps it’s his higher draft status or perhaps it’s the series of “almost plays” on his resume, but Chido’s name is likely to elicit a tense response from most Cowboys fans.

Both Chido and fellow draftmate Jourdan Lewis are entering the last year of their rookie deals. While it’s clear Jourdan is still the odd man out in Dallas (Why Jourdan Lewis is the odd man out), Chido still perfectly fits the profile Will McClay and the new defensive coaching staff are looking for in a DB.

Awuzie is big, long, and extremely athletic. Don’t forget, 3 Sigma Athlete had Awuzie as the drafts 4th most athletic DB in the 2017 Draft. That ties him with Pro Bowler Marshon Lattimore and puts him well above standouts Shaquill Griffin and Adoree’ Jackson. Overall that puts him in the NFL’s 97.7 percentile.

With the exception of a couple bad games, Chido has been a consistent performer at outside CB for the Cowboys. He offers tight coverage and exceptional tackling. The victim of perfectly executed low-percentage throws, Chido caught a bad rap last season.

Looking at the film and looking over the numbers, it’s easy to see Chido is better than most are giving him credit for, and a breakout season in 2020 isn’t just possible, it’s likely. How far he can he breakout is in itself a topic for debate. Based on his athletic ability and intelligence, he clearly has CB1 potential.

If the Dallas Cowboys can get him playing to his strengths, they could get him to realize that potential immediately. If they force him to conform to their system like the past coaching staff, this may be as good as it gets for Awuzie.

Chido split time between CB and SAF in college and the Dallas Cowboys have indicated they plan to do that for him in this his final season under contract. Allowing him to play in the box more would be huge for his development (see also: 3 Reasons Chido is better in the box than on the boundary) all while producing more big plays.

How much time Chido spends at safety will likely come down to how well rookies Trevon Diggs and Reggie Robinson play, and whether or not free agents Maurice Canady and Daryl Worley can establish themselves outside.

Either way, if the Dallas Cowboys think Chido will breakout in any way here in 2020, they will want to think long and hard about re-signing him while they can still afford him. We know based on how Dallas handled Byron Jones they’re unlikely to break the bank at CB, so some proactive speculation may be the only way to keep Chido in Dallas beyond this season.