Editor’s Note: In the midst of unprecedented times, there is a lot of uncertainty to be done, with both the Cowboys and the NFL. As the NFL and NFLPA continue to monitor the ever-evolving process of returning to football, we will do our best to respond to pressing questions that arise. In the meantime, there are football-related issues that need to be addressed as well. Knowing full well that position battles, player rosters and other football matters take a significant back seat to the larger issues that have been presented by COVID-19, our staff will attempt to answer 20 of the most big questions that this team and this league face as we go. ready for the 2020 season. Today we start with a football question regarding the new cornerback position.
20Q – Who starts at Cornerback?
With the loss of Byron Jones to free agency, the Cowboys have big shoes to fill. They have a lot of options, but none come without their own set of questions. Chido Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis are both entering the final year of their deals, and Trevon Diggs and Reggie Robinson have yet to play an NFL snap. Anthony Brown and Daryl Worley have experience but have not been the most consistent.
Here’s how Cowboys staff editors seem to think the cornerback position is going to fade away.
David Helman: More than any other year in recent history, this is a season where the game seems stacked against the rookies. They haven’t even been able to familiarize themselves with the setup, let alone practice and familiarize themselves with what the coaching staff ask them to do. That’s why my projections for the various Cowboys lineup battles are so boring. It’s not a blow to Trevon Diggs or Reggie Robinson, but I can hardly expect them to beat a trio of experienced veterans under such adverse circumstances. Anthony Brown, Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis have all played more than 40 games in the NFL. Awuzie and Brown have been leaving regularly for several years. This is a definite advantage – especially when their competitors couldn’t even get through OTAs. I guess these three veterans win the first three positions out of camp, and hopefully both rookies are good enough to save some playing time as the season progresses.
Rob Phillips: This is the most open position battle I can remember in the last 10 Cowboys camps. The wide receiver competition in 2018 (after Dez’s release) is probably the closest comparison. With no in-person offseason schedule and pre-season games scheduled, I have to look to the experience. Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, and Anthony Brown are returning veterans, so they’re my pick for the top three until further notice. Granted, much of this is new staff and a new defensive system, so it should be a level playing field. Newcomer Daryl Worley has been a starter for both the Panthers and Raiders and he’s playing a style that fits their philosophy, so he’s one to watch. Rookies Trevon Diggs and Reggie Robinson II are very talented. Much like Awuzie and Lewis in 2017, I got to see them win more shots throughout the season. But it seems difficult to get rookies to step in and immediately play big shots without anything close to an offseason or normal camp.
Nick Eatman: I thought about it the other day – depending on your question, you might have a lot of different answers regarding the cornerback position. Who did they give the most money to? Anthony Brown. Who is the higher type? Chido. Who gets the most enthusiasm from fans? Probably Trevon Diggs. And who plays the most? It would be Jourdan Lewis. In fact, a coach told me that Daryl Worley even had the highest score in 2019 among all the cornerbacks. So, taking all of this into account, we now have to figure out who starts? It is not at all easy. But something tells me that this coaching staff is going to like Jourdan Lewis as well. He gets the job done and has a great attitude about it. I think he’s on the pitch, just like Anthony Brown. And I think Chido is bouncing back and establishing himself as one of the best corners in the team. Watch out for Worley, he could overthrow Brown, although with the money they gave him he will likely have a place in the top three.
