The cornerback depth room was looking crowded heading into training camp. Before the announcement that Cornerback Maurice Canady will opt-out of the 2020 season, the Dallas Cowboys had far more cornerbacks than they might have roster spots for 2020.
After re-signing Anthony Brown and C.J. Goodwin, drafting Trevon Diggs and Reggie Robinson, and signing Daryl Worley, Saivion Smith, and Canady in free agency, the cornerback room was incredibly deep. Add those players to Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis, and the Cowboys had as many as nine players who could vie for a roster spot in 2020.
Though they lack a true number one corner at this point (Diggs could be that guy), they have a bunch of guys who are solid corners. With the announcement that Canady will sit out this year, more training camp snaps just opened up for others to stake their claim to a roster spot.
Reggie Robinson II, who was likely to make the roster after being selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, will get more of an opportunity to earn a role in 2020 with one less cornerback to compete for snaps. There is still a lot of depth on the roster. However, one less player vying for rotational cornerback snaps creates more practice reps and in-game snaps for other players, and Robinson stands to benefit the most.
With the three starting spots likely coming down Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, Anthony Brown, Trevon Diggs, and Daryl Worley, Robinson was looking like a player who would be settling for scraps. However, the depth chart just got a little less crowded, and he will get more opportunities to prove that he belongs with the guys at the top of the depth chart.
With Canady bowing out of the 2020 season, Robinson has one less player in the way. He can thrust his name into the starting cornerback competition with a strong camp. Even if he doesn’t emerge as a starter week one of the season, Robinson will get more opportunities to show what he can do for the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff.
Robinson will play a huge role on special teams for John Fassell. In college, he blocked a kick in each of his four seasons at Tulsa. Robinson comes in ready to make a day one impact on the special teams units.
Robinson is a versatile player who lined up in several spots at Tulsa, including safety. He has an instinct for the football and uses his length well to get into passing lanes and deflect passes. Robinson was a player that had some scouts thinking he could go in the late part of the second round or the third. Selecting him in the fourth, the Cowboys found a player that could play a significant role for them in 2020 and beyond.
Here is every pass deflection + INT from #Cowboys CB Reggie Robinson in 2019: pic.twitter.com/ahRYQNJjSB
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) July 13, 2020
