The Dallas Cowboys had done very little to move the needle over the first four days of the legal tampering period. While there's a lot to like about signing Jalen Thompson and trading for Rashan Gary, a lot of that work was undone by trading Osa Odighizuwa.
Of course, Dallas hadn't put a bow on its free agency. More moves are coming, and there's growing suspicion that the Odighizuwa trade is a precursor to a big move.
In the meantime, the Cowboys have made a big addition to their secondary, signing cornerback Cobie Durant to a one-year deal worth up to $5.5 million, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Todd Archer.
A fourth-round pick in 2022, Durant started 38 games for the Rams over the last three seasons. He can be volatile in coverage, but he was a very serviceable starter for Los Angeles, and showed up big in the playoffs this past January, leading all players with three interceptions and seven pass deflections.
The Cowboys plan to sign cornerback Cobie Durant to a one-year deal, sources tell @toddarcher and me.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 13, 2026
Durant had three interceptions and seven pass breakups for the Rams last year. pic.twitter.com/iDYr3pp1hd
The Dallas Cowboys reportedly sign cornerback Cobie Durant to one-year deal
Another signing who has positional versatility, Durant played primarily on the outside the last two seasons, but he played more than half of his defensive snaps in the nickel in 2023, logging 349 snaps in the slot compared to 227 on the boundary, per Pro Football Focus.
At 5-foot-11 and 181 pounds, Durant does not fit the Cowboys' cornerback prototype. They typically only draft and sign CBs who have at least 31-inch arms. Durant has sub-31-inch arms. That may hint at defensive coordinator Christian Parker's influence in the move.
In 2025, Durant posted a 67.4 coverage grade that ranked 38th among 114 qualified cornerbacks, per PFF. He also allowed just a 58.7% completion rate and an 85.6 passer rating when targeted.
In a defense full of needs, cornerback was a big one, as former All-Pro DaRon Bland is recovering from his second left foot surgery in as many years.
Furthermore, Trevon Diggs is no longer on the team, and 2025 third-round pick Shavon Revel missed the first nine games of his rookie year while recovering from a torn ACL suffered in his final season at East Carolina.
While Durant isn't a groundbreaking pickup, he raises the floor of the secondary. The Cowboys badly needed to sign a competent veteran, and Durant fits that bill.