The Cowboys allowed corner Jourdan Lewis to leave in free agency last year, something that Jerry now knows, was a mistake.
The Dallas Cowboys last offseason were largely bystanders in free agency.
Not many players came in, with several leaving, including cornerback Jourdan Lewis.
Seen as part of the glue that held the secondary together, you could make the case that Lewis was a touch underrated.
A tough, physical slot corner, who laid it all on the line week in and week out, with no fanfare - all despite a lack of size - Lewis was seen as an integral part of the defense.
But as we know in the NFL, everything has a price, and Lewis' in free agency shocked even the Cowboys.
The Jacksonville Jaguars swooped in with a three-year, $30 million deal, a price that was clearly too high for the Cowboys.
Of course, in hindsight, given what Matt Eberflus' defense produced in 2025, as big plays and constant miscommunication in the secondary were a weekly head-scratching theme, Dallas clearly missed Lewis being part of the glue that held things together.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has moved a little differently this offseason, with the defensive coordinator search that led Dallas to Christian Parker.
But he is also being a little more honest.
And on the "party bus" in Indianapolis, Jerry knows that letting Lewis go in free agency was a mistake.
“Our nickel, we let our nickel get out of here last year. We have a little more appreciation for where we are at nickel—or aren’t at nickel,” Jones said. “He wouldn’t get out this year. That’s how you learn right there."
Now, 12 months ago, could Cowboys Nation fathom paying Lewis what Jacksonville did? No.
But what Lewis moving on did was shine a bright light on all the under-the-radar things he did for the defense.
You never had to question his effort or toughness. He was always in the right place at the right time, and he left everything out on the field each week.
He was a true pros pro, and the Cowboys, for whatever reason, allowed him to walk, and they paid the price for it.
Now, entering the offseason with Parker's defense taking center stage, getting a quality nickel corner is likely high on the to-do list.