We chatted with Raiders writer Matt Holder to help us get to know everything about Detroit Lions free agent signing Amik Robertson
When the Detroit Lions agreed to terms with former Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Amik Robertson, Raiders fans expressed an extreme amount of disappointment . Even a small amount of research reveals why. Robertson is a great success story of perseverance through both personal and professional challenges. He’s a competitor on the field, and a young, blooming talent.
But we wanted to get a deeper sense of what the Lions are getting in Amik Robertson and go beneath a surface-level analysis.
So we talked to our friends over at Raiders blog Silver and Black Pride to get a better understanding of who Robertson is and what he can do on the field. Writer Matt Holder was nice enough to give us the full background.
1) Amik Robertson seemed beloved by fans and the coaching staff. Why do you think the Raiders chose not to re-sign him?
I thought there was a good chance Robertson would get re-signed because he’s a solid corner who has some versatility to line up out wide or over the slot. He’s a good guy to have on the roster since he can make a few spot starts and come off the bench if need be. However, even if the Raiders re-signed him, they’d still need a true No. 1 cornerback and they already have a second starter in Jack Jones, whose cap hit is less than $1 million this year and $1.1 million for next year. So, the front office must have viewed Robertson as more of a backup option for next season and not worth the $4.5 million per year he signed for.
2) We’ve heard about Robertson’s “dawg” mentality on the field. What is he like off the field/locker room/press conferences?
Robertson was never an issue off the field and always came across as professional and friendly in the press conferences. I wouldn’t say he’s a terribly outgoing person or anything like that, but he definitely seems like a good guy that you don’t have to worry about doing something stupid off the field/being a distraction.
3) On the field, what does Robertson do best? What does he struggle with?
Robertson is pretty much a boom-or-bust player, meaning consistency is his biggest issue. He’ll make a few big plays by creating a turnover or batting passes—he has decent ball skills—but he’s also liable to get beat by having a coverage break or simply getting out-manned. For example, Pro Football Focus has Robertson with four interceptions and 11 pass breakups during his career, but also 11 touchdowns surrendered. Also, PFF has credited him with two forced fumbles—and one return for a TD—and 23 missed tackles. The 5-foot-8 and 183-pound cornerback is limited physically too, and sometimes just gets beat because of his lack of size.
4) Do you think Robertson can be a full-time starter, or is he best served as a backup?
I think the backup/spot-starter role is best for Robertson. As mentioned above, he’ll make plays that can change the momentum of the game, it’s just a matter of in which team’s favor. He’s a solid player who could have a decently long NFL career, but I wouldn’t be comfortable having him as a full-time starter with how inconsistent his play is.
5) If you could recommend one game Lions fans should watch of Robertson’s, which should they?
Week 9 against the New York Giants . It sums up his game perfectly because he got beat deep by Jalin Hyatt on a pass that Daniel Jones luckily overthrew. Robertson actually got benched for a few series after that play but then got back on the field and ended up getting an interception and a pass breakup among a few other quality reps to turn in a good overall performance. I actually broke down the tape of his performance in the article below if Lions fans want to give it a read.
https://www.silverandblackpride.com/2023/11/7/23949222/raiders-giants-amik-robertson-film-breakdown