Dallas Cowboys: Is CB Jourdan Lewis a tradeable asset?

The Dallas Cowboys fixed their cornerback situation from last year. After struggling endlessly at CB2 all season, they finally bit the bullet and added a veteran cornerback with some All-Pro skins on the wall.

Stephon Gilmore, added via trade in March, solidifies the Dallas Cowboys top ranks. And with the breakout play of DaRon Bland, the Cowboys have one of the more intriguing CB trios in the NFL heading into 2023.

How tradeable is Jourdan Lewis and why would/wouldn’t the Dallas Cowboys consider it?

Veteran CB Jourdan Lewis has long provided valuable depth and useful versatility in the Dallas Cowboys secondary. At a ticket price of $5,872,550 (cap cost) in 2023, he’s the second most expensive CB on the roster – a figure that seems expensive for a player who’s likely no better than CB4.

Bland’s presence on the roster makes Jourdan Lewis’ role a bit redundant. Both players have inside/outside ability, both can reliably make plays on the ball, and most can tackle from inside the box.

Bland is the younger of the two by three years and potentially has élite ball skills. He’s under contract for cheap and factors in to the future of the team. It’s safe to say he’s going to get the  nod over Lewis.

The Dallas Cowboys also have young players like Israel Mukuamu (who was promising in the nickel last season) rookie Eric Scott (who’s flashing in minicamp) Kelvin Joseph and Nahshon Wright. Lewis could be seen as a progress stopper to these young players.

On paper, Lewis is expendable. But reality isn’t paper so here are four reasons why Jourdan Lewis doesn’t get traded:

1. Lewis isn’t healthy and other teams aren’t interested
2. Dan Quinn adores Jourdan Lewis
3. The Dallas Cowboys saw first hand in 2022 how important CB depth is
4. Aside from rolling cap space over, the Cowboys aren’t desperate to  save money

Lewis’ lisfranc injury was a bad one and he’s not medically cleared to play yet. Chances are he’ll start camp on the PUP and he may even start the season there as well. Other teams won’t trade for that.

Cowboys DC Dan Quinn also likes Lewis quite a bit. He’s called him one of his smartest players and uses him a variety of ways. The Cowboys have a young defense so you can bet Quinn values Lewis’ veteran presence on it.

The Cowboys were plagued by injuries in 2022 and had to dig deep to find CB options late in the season. $5.8M is a small price to pay for insurance at such an important spot(s).

Finally, if the Dallas Cowboys trade Lewis who are they replacing him with? They don’t need to save money this season so it’s best used exactly where it’s at – with a versatile veteran CB.

Jourdan Lewis isn’t a tradeable asset. He’s more valuable to the Dallas Cowboys than anyone else so they will be smart to keep him as a depth piece in 2023.