The Dallas Cowboys continued to address their secondary in free agency, this time at cornerback, agreeing to a one-year, $5.5 million contract with former Los Angeles Rams defender Cobie Durant on Thursday night, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. The 28-year-old defensive back arrives after spending his first four NFL seasons in Los Angeles, where he developed into a productive playmaker in the secondary.
A fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Durant featured in 61 career games with 39 starts for the Rams and also played in six postseason contests, including three starts. Over four seasons, he had 141 total tackles (96 solo), two sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, 26 pass breakups, and seven interceptions. Two of those interceptions were returned for touchdowns. During his rookie season, he led the NFL with 151 interception return yards.
Durant also made some game-changing plays in the playoffs. In six career postseason games, he collected four interceptions, including three during Los Angeles' playoff run this past season. He made two interceptions in a divisional win over the Chicago Bears and another in the Wild Card round against the Carolina Panthers. However, he also allowed three touchdown receptions during the playoffs, including two in the NFC Championship Game versus the Seattle Seahawks.
The Cowboys pursued cornerback depth partly due to injuries to projected starters DaRon Bland, who underwent offseason foot surgery, and second-year defender Shavon Revel, who missed the first nine games of last season recovering from a torn ACL suffered during his college career at East Carolina Pirates. Durant provides flexibility after playing both boundary corner and nickel roles during his career.
Dallas has been active this offseason, previously signing safety Jalen Thompson and adding multiple players through free agency and a trade with the Green Bay Packers for Rashan Gary. The Cowboys still hold the No. 12 and No. 20 picks in the upcoming first round and continue to evaluate cornerbacks ahead of the draft while building depth in the secondary.
