While many fans were sleeping, the Dallas Cowboys made one of their most important offseason moves yet, signing now-former Los Angeles Rams cornerback Cobie Durant to a one-year deal.
This marks the seventh external free agent brought in by Dallas since things opened up on Monday, and it is the 10th move in total, once you include the trade for Rashan Gary, the extension of Sam Williams, and the back-to-back Thursday trades of Osa Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas.
NEW:
– Rashan Gary (trade)
– Jalen Thompson
– PJ Locke
– Otito Ogbonnia
– Sam Howell
– Tyrus Wheat
– Matt Hennessy
– Cobie Durant
BACK:
– Sam Williams
LOSSES:
– Osa Odighizuwa (traded to SF)
– Solomon Tomas (traded to TEN)
Full tracker at
Cornerback had been one of the biggest needs on the roster heading into the offseason, and while it continues to be an area the Cowboys must improve on, this really helps out if they aren’t able to get their top target or two at the position in the draft.
There is no guarantee that a guy like LSU’s Mansoor Delane will make it to Dallas with the 12th pick, and the secondary options (Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy, Clemson’s Aveion Terrell) could go before they pick again at 20.
In short, this was a necessary signing that comes at the cheap cost of a one-year deal, but there is more to explain why that is.
Cobie Durant: The Player, The Fit, & The Future at CB for Dallas
Diving a bit deeper into the actual player for a moment, Durant has been a nice contributor for an otherwise lackluster Rams secondary since he was drafted in 2022.
Now, that’s not because they selected him as a highly touted prospect: in fact, it’s quite the opposite.
Durant was drafted in the fourth round in 2022 out of South Carolina State, a small D1 HBCU located a little over an hour away from his hometown, Lamar, South Carolina. While his alma mater is no powerhouse, it has quietly produced some strong NFL talent over the years, including Shaq Barrett, Javon Hargrave, and Orlando Brown Sr.
In his rookie year with the Rams, Durant went from a small-school mid-round pick to a bright spot on an NFL defense, recording three interceptions, leading the league in INT-return yards, and breaking up five passes in 13 games played.
Since that inaugural run with LA, he’s started 38 games and reeled in four more interceptions, including three in the regular season this past year. In four total seasons of action, Durant became a consistent starter with ballhawking abilities.
He even intercepted Bears quarterback Caleb Williams twice in that thrilling divisional round matchup this past January.
So, why did the Rams let him go, and why is Dallas scooping him up? The answer is fairly simple both ways: Los Angeles is revamping their secondary, adding guys like Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, and Dallas is ridiculously weak at corner and in need of cheap contracts, which Durant provides as a 28-year-old with average skills, according to PFF.
The site gave him a 66.7 overall grade and a 67.4 coverage grade, which ranked 39th and 38th out of 144 qualifying corners in 2025. Where they really dock him pretty hard is in the running game, and in blitzing, which makes sense considering his 182 lb frame.
Durant is a fit in Dallas because of those ball skills, his experience starting in the league, and their glaring need at the position, not because he is a perfect cornerback that can meaningfully impact the game in every way; you can’t get that with the kind of limited money the Cowboys front office is trying to spend.
Going forward, the room is, of course, headlined by DaRon Bland, with young guys like Caelen Carson and Shavon Revel Jr. needing to step up. I’d say Cobie Durant enters Dallas ahead of those two by a hair, and far ahead of depth pieces Reddy Stewart and Trikweze Bridges as the 2026 offseason goes on.
Was this helpful?
3 Comments