The Cowboys stole this cornerback during roster cuts.
The Dallas Cowboys have one of the most talented secondaries in the NFL. The safety room in particular is arguably the deepest in the entire league. Much to the chagrin of fans, undrafted safety Julius Wood became collateral damage during roster cuts because Dallas didn't want to carry five safeties.
Much like safety, the cornerback group was easy to predict: Trevon Diggs, Jourdan Lewis, Caelen Carson, Israel Mukuamu and Andrew Booth made the cut The depth of the room took a major hit in light of DaRon Bland's foot surgery, which will shelve him for 6-8 weeks.
The Cowboys like what they've seen from Carson and Mukuamu's position switch from safety has been seamless. Booth, though, might have been lucky to make the 53-man roster after an uneven preseason.
It's no surprise Dallas signed preseason darling Kamon Hall to the practice squad. They also brought back former USFL star Josh Butler, who spent part of last season on the practice squad. After Wednesday's flurry of moves, Dallas still had three openings on the practice squad.
Those were filled on Thursday in the form of running back Dalvin Cook, DT Phil Hoskins and cornerback Amani Oruwariye.
Cowboys sign potential gem to practice squad in CB Amani Oruwariye
Oruwariye is someone to watch as a potential call-up during the regular season. He was surprisingly released by the Jaguars this week. He signed with Jacksonville's practice squad in October after he was cut loose by the Giants. He only appeared in one game, but the Jaguars saw enough to sign him to a futures contract after the 2023 season.
A fifth-round pick of the Lions in 2019, Oruwariye once looked like a building block in Detroit's secondary. He burst onto the scene in 2021 with 57 tackles, 11 passes defended and a team-high six interceptions in 14 games. He allowed a 60.2 passer rating when targeted, per Pro Football Focus.
For whatever reason, Oruwariye struggled the following season. He got benched in Week 5 and wasn't re-signed by Detroit. He later inked a one-year deal with the Giants as a free agent.
There is definitely consistency issues with Oruwariye, but his nose for the ball and athleticism make him an intriguing depth option. He's 6-foot-2 and ran a 4.48 40-yard dash. In 54 career games (36 starts), he's registered nine interceptions and 24 passes defended.
It's not often that production is available at this stage of the NFL calendar. There is a reason Oruwariye failed to stick in Jacksonville, but his release was viewed as a surprise. With ideal athleticism and clear ball-hawking skills, joining Al Harris' school of cornerback could be just what Oruwariye needs to rediscover his 2021 form.
