After two years of questionable play, the Detroit Lions didn't fight back when the Washington Commanders made a run at Amik Robertson. They gave him a two-year, $15 million contract to become their next slot cornerback, a decision that might come back to haunt them soon enough.
Robertson will be just another player in their revolving door of veteran options in the secondary. The Marshon Lattimore experiment didn't work, and Mike Sainristil will likely have to play outside to accommodate him at nickel. Lions fans learned the hard way that people in the nation's capital shouldn't keep their hopes up.
Amik Robertson is Going to Struggle with the Washington Commanders
Despite having a defensive-minded head coach in Dan Quinn, the Commanders' defense has been far from stellar. Just last season, they gave up the most total yards per game (398.9), the fifth-most passing yards (242.5), the third-most rushing yards (141.8), and the sixth-most points per game (26.5). That's not going to get much better with Robertson in the backfield.
Last season, Robertson started 10 of 17 games, logging 52 total tackles (43 solo), two tackles for loss, 12 passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and an interception. The advanced numbers, however, were far less encouraging.
The former Lion allowed a whopping 70 receptions on 104 targets. He was clearly being locked in on by opposing QBs, who exposed him as the weakest link in the secondary. Robertson allowed 947 yards, eight touchdowns, and an opposing passer rating of 117.7. If that wasn't bad enough, he also missed a whopping 12 tackles, posting an 18.8 percent missed-tackle rate, the worst of his career.
The former fourth-round pick has never been a shutdown defender by any means, and last season was no exception. Pro Football Focus gave him a 48.6 overall grade, the fifth-worst among 114 eligible players at his position. His coverage grade (48.0) and run defense grade (49.0) ranked 106th and 90th, respectively.
Robertson was arguably the team's primary defensive liability, and Washington rewarding him with $7.5 million a year might not be the wisest call. The Commanders have some glaring needs on defense, but expecting Robertson to get it together in his seventh season is just wishful thinking.
That said, the Lions should strongly consider finding him a replacement and targeting multiple cornerbacks in the draft, since there are also some major doubts about Terrion Arnold's health and ability to live up to the hype.
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