Despite their legacy as a team that is always willing to bend over backwards to acquire star players, Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys have spent the last few free agency frenzies trying to find ways to pinch pennies and sign veteran free agents to short-term contracts.
The Cowboys have largely chosen not to focus on their poor cornerback room, choosing to sign defensive linemen like Solomon Thomas and running backs like Javonte Williams. Dallas could have pounced on a perfect corner that could have given this team the depth it needed.
Former Cowboys cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, who had a successful stint with the Cincinnati Bengals after being cut loose by Dallas, managed to link up with the Tennessee Titans. After the firing of Ran Carthon led to Awuzie going out the door with the man who signed him, Dallas could have been at the front of the line for his services.
Instead, Awuzie signed a one-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens after they lost Brandon Stephens in free agency. Dallas could have been the perfect landing spot for him to revitalize his career, but he is instead taking his talents over to Maryland.
Cowboys miss out on Chidobe Awuzie as Ravens sign veteran cornerback
Awuzie's 64.4 PFF grade put him almost smack in the middle across all qualified corners in the NFL, though his run defense grade ranked 17th in the league. There's still something there to work with, even if his coverage skills have taken a bit of a slide down in recent seasons.
Awuzie is still on the hook for $7.5 million from the Titans after signing with them last offseason, which means he could have cost next to nothing on Dallas' books. In a weaker cornerback class, Jones should have at least gotten on the horn with Awuzie and worked something out.
The fact Dallas wasn't in on Awuzie is a bit of a puzzler. Considering their willingness to pay for former Cowboys like Dante Fowler Jr. and Jones' self-imposed binding vow to not spend a ton of money in free agency, the Cowboys should have tried to reel Awuzie back in as a valuable depth piece.
Unless Dallas plans on drafting an entirely new cornerback room, they need to bring in a veteran who can push for some extended playing time. Awuzie would have made a ton of sense for Matt Eberflus' defense, but Dallas' slow pace led to him signing with Baltimore.
