The Dallas Cowboys were the last team to sign a free agent, making the re-signing of long snapper Trent Sieg their first acquisition of the new league year.
However, they have been much more active the last few days. First they finalized the signing of 32-year-old Pro Bowl linebacker Eric Kendricks, and on Thursday they re-signed nickel cornerback Jourdan Lewis to a one-year deal. Lewis, a third-round pick of the Cowboys in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Michigan, confirmed the move by tweeting out a Vince Carter meme that says "I got one more in me."
— Jourdan Lewis (@JourdanJD) March 14, 2024
The Cowboys corner has nine interceptions, 36 passes defended, four forced fumbles and eight fumble recoveries in seven seasons in Dallas. Lewis notably overcame a significant foot injury that involved a fracture, dislocation and a tear, which required immediate surgery during the 2022 season. He returned to action in 2023 and played in 16 of the Cowboys' 17 regular season games, starting eight of those contests. Lewis served as Dallas' Ed Block Courage Award winner for the return to play this past season.
His return likely means that 2023 interceptions leader and first-team All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland will remain an outside cornerback in 2024. Bland, a 2022 fifth-round pick, first received notable playtime after Lewis' injury. With Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs tearing his ACL in Week 3 of the 2023 season, Bland was moved to the outside, which led to him hauling in a league-leading nine interceptions. That total included an NFL single-season record five interception return touchdowns. Since five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Stephon Gilmore remains a free agent, the Cowboys starting cornerback spots are shaping up to be Bland and Diggs on the outside with Lewis manning the slot or nickel corner position.