Heading into NFL free agency, all signs are pointing towards the Dallas Cowboys spending a good amount of their cap space on the defensive side of the ball.
The Cowboys’ defense left much to be desired this past season, as they were ranked dead last in scoring defense (30.1 ppg allowed), allowed the 10th-most rushing yards in the NFL (125.5), and gave up the most passing yards (251.5).
The first step in fixing the defense was bringing in Christian Parker as defensive coordinator, and he's since overhauled Dallas’ defensive staff. The next step is signing players who can fit in Parker’s scheme at all three levels when free agency opens in less than two weeks.
On Sunday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote that the Cowboys need a nickel cornerback, as they have struggled to fill the spot since the departure of Jourdan Lewis. Dallas could go the draft route to fill it. Or the Cowboys could look towards free agency and go after veteran cornerback Amik Robertson.
Amik Robertson Could Solve Cowboys’ Glaring Nickel Needs
The 27-year-old Robertson is likely to be playing elsewhere in 2026 after spending the last two years in Detroit. After being a surprise standout in 2024, Robertson’s play took a little bit of a step backward as Detroit needed him to play more on the outside.
Even though Robertson can play on the outside, it's not preferred due to his size (5-foot-9, 175 pounds).
However, as Football Gameplan’s Emory Hunt always says, size is not a skill. Robertson will battle on the outside, but there will be limitations. To get the best out of Robertson, he needs to be in the slot, and that works for the Cowboys, who have two outside CBs in DaRon Bland and Shavon Revel.
This past season, Dallas got a front-row view at the Reddy Steward experience, and it wasn't great.
Meanwhile, Robertson had 12 pass deflections (career-high) and recorded an interception in 10 starts in 2025. Conversely, the veteran defender allowed a career-high 947 yards on 70 completions (104 targets) and gave up eight receiving touchdowns, along with a 117.7 pass rating allowed.
For Robertson to have success, whether that’s in Dallas or elsewhere, that needs to go down. But one thing you can question about Robertson is the heart and physicality that he brings to the game.
Based on what we’ve seen Parker do over his coaching career working with DBs, he could get the best out of Robertson. And not to mention, he brought over passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley, who worked in Green Bay, and is familiar with Robertson, who played in Detroit.
Let's not forget that Parker said in his introductory press conference that he values a player's talents over positional fits, making him the best man to put Robertson in a role where he can thrive.
"You want to build a package that has diversity and scheme, and then you want to tailor it to the players you have. Of course, there are schematic fits, but I think the really good players are the ones you can't peg them into a certain scheme, and that's the only way they can play football."Christian Parker, Cowboys DC
Robertson’s stock is pretty low due to what he put on film in 2025. That said, his market value is projected to be a three-year, $11.8 million deal ($3.9 million AAV), per Spotrac. Dallas might not want to go for a three-year deal, though.
Still, a one-year, prove-it deal at $4 million for Robertson might be worth it. If he can return to his 2024 form and lock down guys in the slot, he’ll easily rebuild his value, which could earn him another deal in Dallas or elsewhere next offseason.