Amik Robertson
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The Washington Commanders are "likely" to move a $7 million starter after signing Amik Robertson.
They spent a second-round draft pick on Trey Amos in 2025, but the Washington Commanders are already “likely” to change the cornerback’s role ahead of his second season and on the heels of signing Amik Robertson in 2026 NFL free agency.
It’s a change tipped by Liam Griffin of The Washington Times. He predicts “Amos is likely lining up outside next season. TBD on Mike Sainristil, who has played inside and outside through two seasons with mixed results.”
Trey Amos is likely lining up outside next season. TBD on Mike Sainristil, who has played inside and outside through two seasons with mixed results. https://t.co/Ejs9nXuurZ
— Liam Griffin (@ByLiamGriffin) March 12, 2026
There’s a few key side-notes here. Not the least of which is Griffin framing his take about Amos around an earlier post quoting Washington’s newest cornerback, 27-year-old former Detroit Lions slot-specialist Robertson.
Robertson revealed, “I’m a hybrid. I could play corner. I could play nickel, safety, whatever the team needs me to do. That’s what I do,” when asked where he might play for the Commanders, per Griffin.
Having Robertson adopt such a multi-faceted role fits with how unpredictable the Commanders are likely to be under new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones. So do the blitzing skills of Mike Sainristil, whose next assignment might be “TBD,” but a return to the slot, where he once thrived for Michigan, makes sense.
Sainristil and Robertson will help Jones change the picture in terms of pressure and coverage, but the new play-caller has a greater need for corners who can play on an island outside the numbers.
Trey Amos Primed for Vital New Role
A change of responsibilities won’t be as important for Amos as staying healthy. Not when the former Ole Miss star dealt with a sprained ankle at last year’s Senior Bowl and a problematic back harmed his pre-draft status.
The Commanders weren’t daunted, and they even rated Amos as a first-round talent, but injury struck again when the corner fractured his fibula against Robertson’s Lions last November. Amos had allowed just one touchdown through 10 games and eight starts before events in Detroit, per Pro Football Reference.
What’s interesting is the Commanders were showing trust in Amos to handle one-on-one coverage matchups. He had a 37.9 percent shadow rate, according to Player Profiler, indicating the “percent of cover snaps a defensive back is assigned to a particular receiver on the play as opposed to side of the formation.”
Amos was being asked to track receivers in space, something Jones will need him to do more often. Jones learned his brand of defense with the Minnesota Vikings and Brian Flores, the premier proponent of designer blitzing and disguised coverage.
There are going to be times when Amos is expected to hold up in coverage, despite little or no safety help. Especially when other defensive backs on the depth chart are more suited to being sent on the rush.
Amik Robertson, Mike Sainristil Suit New Commanders Defense
Sainristil was a star when the Commanders shocked the NFL by reaching the NFC Championship Game in 2024, but the ex-Wolverines standout regressed significantly last season. Putting Sainristil on the inside more often will help him get back on track, while also expanding the ways Jones gets to manufacture pressure.
Those plans will surely involve blitzing Sainristil from the slot, but Robertson will also be in the mix. He blitzed 19 times in two seasons with the Lions, and Robertson’s versatility creates the most exciting possibilities for Jones.
Versatility summed up by Robertson clocking “500 snaps on the perimeter, 293 in the slot for Amik Robertson last year,” per Commanding The Huddle host Ryan Fowler.
Ryan Fowler
500 snaps on the perimeter, 293 in the slot for Amik Robertson last year.
Ultra-competitive DB provides versatility (staple of Daronte Jones’ defense), still just 27. 12 PBUs in ‘25.
A corner with this level of flexibility will allow Jones to move defensive backs around in pressure packages. Putting Robertson inside will mean shifting Sainristil to the perimeter, where he’s often been better in the pros, but the same dynamic can work the other way, only adding to the confusion the Commanders can create with personnel and pre-snap looks.
The key to the whole plan will be how well Amos holds up over outside receivers.