Grading the signing: Dallas Cowboys get exactly what they needed by adding one of the best free agents available

This is a great move by the Dallas Cowboys, and it gives them certainty in a very uncertain cornerback group.

AJ Schulte, Mauricio Rodriguez
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Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Los Angeles Rams cornerback Cobie Durant (14) reacts to a rushing touchdown scored by running back Kyren Williams (not pictured) against the Chicago Bears during the fourth quarter of an NFC Divisional Round game at Soldier Field. Matt Marton-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys’ first week of free agency isn’t going as expected after their “bust the budget” offseason comments, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t made good signings. Their latest addition proves that.

The Cowboys are signing cornerback Cobie Durant to a one-year deal worth $5.5 million, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Durant has 39 career starts since the Los Angeles Rams drafted him in in 2022, including 29 over the last two years. In 2025, he logged three interceptions, seven pass deflections, and 40 combined tackles for the Rams.

Durant is a starting CB

Though Durant isn’t a superstar, he’s exactly what the Cowboys needed: A starting-caliber cornerback.

With many questions surrounding Shavon Revel Jr. and DaRon Bland (who had foot surgery for the second consecutive year), Durant provides some certainty. He has experience starting inside and outside, with 689 snaps in the slot and 1,847 outside for his career.

“A former fourth-round pick of the Rams in 2022, Durant quickly became a splash play defensive back for the Rams, culminating in his 2025 season where he led the league in interceptions,” our own A to Z Sports’ Rams expert A.J. Schulte writes.

One word of caution, though: Durant isn’t exactly a shutdown cornerback. With his risky ball-hawk style of play comes a downside.

“However, he has been a double-edged sword in coverage, as he was the most-targeted cornerbacks in the NFL and allowed the 11th-most yards,” Schulte adds. “Durant has experience both inside and outside in his career, but he’s better suited on the outside. If a team is looking for a splash of playmaking to add to their secondary, Durant would be a good addition, provided he has pieces around him in the rotation.”

Grading the signing

If the Cowboys had to play a football game today, they would have a viable group of cornerbacks to do so. That wasn’t the case before signing Durant. Cornerback remains a need I expect them to address in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

But for now, I applaud them for getting one of the best free agents available.

FINAL GRADE: B+

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