- NFL. Micah Parsons' dangerous video leads fans to believe he's leaving Cowboys to play for Detroit Lions
- NFL. Micah Parsons anxiously waits for the Cowboys' call as Myles Garrett receives a record-setting contract
The year is 2015. The Dallas Cowboys have just signed defensive end Greg Hardy to a one-year, $11.3 million contract. After 12 games in Dallas -- and controversy brought about by credible domestic violence accusations -- Hardy left the team and ended his NFL career in 2016.
Fast forward 10 years, and the Cowboys still have not paid a free agent more than $6 million per year since owner Jerry Jones greenlit the contract for Hardy. On a busy opening day of NFL free agency, the trend continued as Dallas lost a key member of its underwhelming 2024 defense.
Jourdan Lewis departure triggers a crisis in Dallas
Jourdan Lewis is a Cowboy no more. The former Dallas cornerback on Monday reached an agreement to the Jacksonville Jaguars on a three-year, $30 million deal -- leaving the Cowboys, who are facing a contract standoff with standout edge rusher Micah Parsons, with yet another hole to fill in next month's NFL Draft.
Lewis, drafted by the Cowboys out of the University of Michigan, is regarded as one of the top "nickel" corners in the NFL. He started 13 games for the Cowboys in 2024 and recorded a career-best 71 tackles, including three for loss. He allowed a 68 percent completion rate and under eight yards per catch to opposing receivers, while his ability to help out in the run game was valued highly on the league's 29th-ranked rush defense.
Does Jones have a plan to replace a player of Lewis' caliber? Cowboys fans probably think not; the owner has indicated he plans to espouse a "draft and develop" strategy in a bid to make Dallas sustainably better going forward. Much of what the Cowboys might achieve in 2025 -- including ending their 29-year Super Bowl drought -- goes through how they approach an extension with Parsons, an All-Pro rusher who has 52.5 sacks in 63 career regular-season games.