The Dallas Cowboys made nearly every conceivable effort to retain one of their most prized free agents over the offseason, but in the end, they ultimately came up short. Signing a three-year, $30 million deal to play cornerback for the Jaguars back in March, eight-year veteran Jourdan Lewis left the city of Dallas and set his sights on the Jacksonville.

For years Lewis served as the Cowboys’ primary inside corner working in nickel packages, a steady force in coverage and shockingly strong against the run. There was a reason the Cowboys tried to keep him in Dallas and a reason why Lewis’ exit leaves a rather significant hole in the lineup. Without a clear replacement waiting in the wings, Dallas will now have to get creative to cover the loss.

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The Cowboys shiny new draft pick, Shavon Revel, should factor into the CB mix in 2025. The East Carolina product was widely considered one of the most talented CBs in the class and a certified steal for Dallas in the third round. But Revel is raw and better built to play the boundary, making him an ill fit inside.

Second-year player Caelen Carson could potentially fit the bill. Despite his rookie troubles, Carson is a well-rounded player, considered in the previous draft to be versatile in both positioning and in coverage demands. If he can put his ugly rookie season behind him, he may be a solid option to replace Lewis. Admittedly, that’s a big “if.”

The Cowboys acquired former first-round pick Kaiir Elam via trade this offseason. Everyone’s hoping a fresh start does the young man some good, but expecting him to be the cure inside might be a little farfetched. In 2024 Elam only took six snaps from the slot, so if he reboots his career, it’s probably going to happen on the boundary.

The Cowboys have a handful of other unproven prospects who could all theoretically enter the mix, but all of them appear longshots. Depending on when Trevon Diggs returns, DaRon Bland could be the solution inside should Carson not pan out. Unlike Diggs and the rookie Revel, Bland is a decent fit inside. Moving him would be subtracting him from a position in which he earned All-Pro honors, but it would likely get the three best CBs on the field at the same time.

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The Cowboys don’t have a ton of great options to replace Lewis. It seems that $30 million man really was important piece in the secondary and someone Dallas will be sure to miss.

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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys loss of Jourdan Lewis on $30 million FA deal will ripple at CB