Category: James Robinson

Jaguars Week 9 injury report: 3 players sit out of practice, including James Robinson

As expected, Jags RB James Robinson surfaced on the Jags injury report after sustaining a heel injury in Seattle.

The Jacksonville Jaguars had three players who didn’t practice Wednesday and the most notable was running back James Robinson (heel). The other two players were guard Ben Bartch (illness) and linebacker Dakota Allen (ankle).

Of course, Robinson was expected to be on the injury report after sustaining his injury Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks in the second quarter. He sustained the injury after running out of bounds and trying to hit the brakes to avoid colliding with a structure on the sideline.

On his radio show, Jags coach Urban Meyer said Robinson would be questionable on Tuesday, so he was guaranteed to be on the injury report.

 

As for Bartch, his situation will be worth watching as he is replacing A.J. Cann in the lineup. Without him the Jags would be down to a third option on the depth chart like veteran Will Richardson.

The injury report also had one limited player in running back Carlos Hyde (calf), and two players who were full participants in starting cornerback Tyson Campbell and defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton.

With Robinson already out, Hyde’s situation will be worth watching as he’s the No. 2 running back on the depth chart. However, the team has Dare Ogunbowale and Devine Ozigbo as their No. 3 and No. 4 options. Running backs Nathan Cottrell and Kerrith Whyte are also available on the practice squad if needed.

Jags Week 5 Player of the Game vs. Titans: RB James Robinson

Today’s peak performer for the Jags was an easy one. What a day from James Robinson.

In a Week 5 game that was a lot closer than the score would indicate, it was James Robinson who put the team on his back and gave it his all against the Jacksonville Jaguars’ in-division rivals in the Tennessee Titans. The second-year player came out strong and ended up accumulating an explosive 8.3-yard rushing average. The Titans seemed lost as to stop his rushing attack.

On the opening drive, Robinson broke out for a 58-yard gain, a career-long for the young back. He then followed up the long run with a 1-yard touchdown rush to put the Jags on the board.

Unfortunately, the Jags’ kicking woes continued as Matthew Wright would miss the follow-up extra point. He would also miss a long 53-yard field goal later, which fell short.

Robinson, however, was as consistent as ever. Two drives later, he would scamper for 15 yards to aid a 70-yard touchdown drive that ended in a Lawrence to Hollister reception.

Robinson’s day continued as he would have drives of 22 and 33 yards on the ground that helped facilitate scoring opportunities for the offense. It appeared as though the team went away from him at times, specifically when they elected to give the ball to Hyde on fourth-and-one on the goal line. The play ended up being a 3-yard loss.

Robinson finished his spectacular day with a career-high of 149-yards and a touchdown. If Lawrence can continue to improve and make good decisions as he has lately and Robinson continues his pace, the offense can score points.

The team gets closer every week, they just have to get over the hill and win. It’s clear Robinson is the team’s best player at the moment and he will be a key factor in getting the team where it needs to be.

Jags jump up early against Bengals with a 6-yard James Robinson rush

The Jags seem to be learning from their mistakes of Weeks 1-2 and have continued to feed James Robinson early (as they did during Week 3) in their TNF battle with Cincinnati.

The Jacksonville Jaguars got off to a quick start in their Thursday night battle with the Cincinnati Bengals, and while their first drive resulted in no points, their second one ended up getting them seven.

The drive was an eight-play process where Trevor Lawrence was able to spread the ball around, hitting receiver Tavon Austin and new tight end Dan Arnold (for a nice 17-yard gain) among notables. To cap it off the Jags went to their only top-100 player in James Robinson, who was able to run it in for six yards and get his second consecutive touchdown of this season (he had one Week 3, too).

The Jags entered this game without Carlos Hyde and the announcers of Thursday’s game said he was inactive with a shoulder injury. The team is also without DJ Chark who fractured his ankle in the first drive. That said, Robinson is likely going to be their guy heading forward and he’s shown he’s capable of handling the workload.

James Robinson promises to sign any jersey with his old number

Robinson announced that he will sign any obsolete No. 30 jersey.

With Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson changing his jersey number from No. 30 to the No. 25 he wore in college, anyone who purchased one of his jerseys last season has seen it rendered obsolete. But if this applies to you, worry not. Robinson has you covered.

In a cool gesture that you don’t usually see from NFL players, he has offered to sign any of his No. 30 jerseys to make up for the change. He announced on Twitter that affected fans just need to reach out to the Jaguars PR Twitter account with a picture of them wearing the jersey.

Robinson’s college jersey was occupied last season by safety Jarrod Wilson, but Wilson was released last week during final roster cuts, freeing up the jersey number Robinson wore while becoming one of the most prolific running backs in Illinois State history.

The former undrafted player burst onto the scene as a rookie, finishing tied for fifth in the league with rushing yards at 1,070. He will be Jacksonville’s top back again this season, and he will likely see an even bigger role than originally thought, given the injury to running back Travis Etienne.

Jags RB James Robinson to change his jersey number

Robinson will be switching to No. 25, which he wore in college while at Illinois State.

With the release of safety Jarrod Wilson, the door was opened for James Robinson to return to the jersey number that he’s worn for most of his career. The second-year running back, who wore No. 30 as he rushed for over 1,000 yards as an undrafted rookie in 2020, will be returning to his roots, wearing the No. 25 jersey moving forward that he wore in college at Illinois State.

Wearing No. 25 as a senior for the Redbirds, Robinson totaled 1,899 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns and finished as the second all-time leading rusher in ISU history.

Robinson came out of nowhere as a rookie phenom for the Jags, finishing tied for fifth in the league in rushing with 1,070 yards and seven touchdowns. After the addition of first-round pick Travis Etienne, it was expected that Robinson’s carry percentage would diminish in 2021.

But after Etienne’s season-ending foot injury, the Jaguars only have two other running backs, Carlos Hyde and Dare Ogunbowale, currently on the roster. Hyde is a veteran and Ogunbowale registered two starts for the Jags last season, but neither presents game-changing abilities like Etienne does.

As a result, Robinson will likely once again be the primary rusher for the Jacksonville offense, especially as offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell tries to get rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence acclimated to the scheme and speed of the NFL game.

Robinson jumped on the opportunity to get his old number back, and the Jaguars will hope he looks like he did at Illinois State while wearing it.

Jags RB James Robinson named to NFL Network’s top-100 players list

After going undrafted out of Illinois State, Jags RB James Robinson is finally receiving the respect he deserves from his peers in the NFL.

Back in July, we made a case for Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson to make NFL Network’s Top-100 Players list and it looks like we were right to do so. The undrafted power back from Illinois State was the first person named to the list Sunday afternoon, placing him at the No. 100 overall spot.

Robinson took the league by storm last year after going undrafted and replacing Leonard Fournette as the Jags’ RB1. He ultimately finished the season tied for fifth in rushing with 1,070 yards throughout 240 carries. He also was able to garner seven rushing touchdowns, and as a receiver, he brought in 49 receptions for 344 yards and three touchdowns.

Unfortunately, Robinson missed the Jags’ last two games as a rookie, but he still was able to surpass Dominic Rhodes for the most yards from scrimmage when it comes to the NFL’s history with undrafted running backs. He was also just 34 yards away from breaking Rhode’s record in rushing.

The list is one that’s voted on by players in the league and it appears Robinson garnered a great amount of respect for the season he had and proved he should’ve been drafted around the third to fourth round at the very least. Now, he’ll look to put together an even better year with new Jags coach Urban Meyer and No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence joining the organization this season.

Darrell Bevell discusses depth at RB, making the group versatile

Darrell Bevell and Urban Meyer have put a lot of time into the Jags’ rushing unit, which points to the group being a focal point of the offense.

If it wasn’t clear before, it’s becoming obvious the Jacksonville Jaguars want to run the ball well when looking at how they treated the running backs group this offseason. Despite already have a power-back who could handle a big load in James Robinson, the Jags signed Urban Meyer’s former running back from Ohio State, Carlos Hyde, in free agency. Afterward, they also spent a first-round pick on the explosive Travis Etienne, who they took 25th overall.

With the team taking the field for training camp Wednesday, the media and fans have gotten a chance to observe the players within the group. In fact, Etienne was one of the stars of Day 2’s session, showcasing the explosion fans witnessed at Clemson, and now many are warming up to his selection as he could gel well with Robinson.

After practice, this resulted in the media asking offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell about having depth at the running back position, which is something he felt is a necessity for today’s game.

“That’s what we need, you know I feel like this game is built that way,” Bevell said. “I know Coach Meyer believes that — that you run the ball first and that we want to able to kind of exert our will on the opponent. It helps us do other things in the pass game and get big plays in the pass game — those kinds of things are what we’re looking to do. To have a number of backs back there — I think there are a lot of guys that are looking really good and it’s just better for us.”

It certainly makes sense that Meyer would want depth at running back when looking at some of his collegiate teams of the past. While they were more of a speed duo, he had Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey during his time at Florida and certainly worked out for the better. Now, he has more of a mixed group that offers speed and power when it comes to Robinson, Etienne, and Hyde. Additionally, with the NFL moving to 17 games now, it isn’t exactly a bad thing to have three guys with starter potential in one group.

While it’s only been two days, the media has taken note of a trend where the running backs have been utilized as pass-catchers frequently since camp has started. When asked about it, Bevell said the reasoning behind that was to get the running backs more comfortable with contributing in the passing game, just as they do for the run game.

“I think — interesting observation you have, that’s really good and I think the thing that’s important for us is that all of those guys can run the ball,” Bevell said. “There are some things that are harder at each position and we want to practice the things that are the hardest. If we can practice things that are hardest then they will get better at them and then those things become things that they’re more comfortable with.

“A lot of running backs … You know I was talking to James [RB Robinson] yesterday and was like how many catches did you have in college and he was like hey we just ran power. They didn’t throw me the ball very much and you know that’s just what happens and you know the more well-rounded you can make the players, the more successful our offense has a chance to be.”

These comments certainly indicate that rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence is going to get his share of help from the running back position whether that’s through the run or the pass. The run game especially could make life easier on him as a rookie quarterback, and with that, things could open up for him in the passing game, which will present Jacksonville with the chance to keep teams off-balance.

Jags RB James Robinson should be in the mix for NFL Network’s 2021 Top-100 list

Robinson was one of the Jags’ only shining spots in 2020 and he should be a top-100 player to his peers when looking at what he achieved.

The 2020 season was one Jacksonville Jaguars fans would rather leave in the past. They started the season by trading veterans like Calais Campbell and A.J. Bouye, and waiving a fan favorite in Leonard Fournette, which all played a role in a 1-15 season.

However, there were some positives, and among them was the player who replaced Fournette: James Robinson. Despite going undrafted, Robinson was a pleasant surprise and was the Jags’ most consistent offensive threat. With 249 attempts for 1,070 yards to his name, he was tied with David Montgomery for fifth on the NFL’s rushing list. He also had seven rushing touchdowns, 344 receiving yards, and three receiving touchdowns. 

Robinson fell 34 yards shy of breaking the rushing record for an undrafted rookie running back. Unfortunately, he missed the Jags’ last two games with an ankle injury — had it not been for that, he probably would’ve broken the record and might have even ranked higher than fifth on the rushing leaders list. 

With the NFL’s Top-100 Players list for 2021 set to come out soon, Robinson’s numbers are worthy of being considered for the list. While it wouldn’t be shocking if he was snubbed like many fans argued when it came to the Pro Bowl, 2020’s list makes a good case for him.

As previously stated, Robinson finished fifth in the league in rushing last season, and when looking at 2020’s Top-100 Players list, all of the league’s top-5 rushers from 2019 made it. Those players were Derrick Henry, Ezekiel Elliot, Nick Chubb, Christian McCaffrey, and Chris Carson, respectively.

There were others outside of the top-5 rushing spots who made it, too, like Josh Jacobs and Todd Gurley. In Jacobs’ case, he only registered 80 more rushing yards than Robinson (with seven touchdowns), while Robinson out-rushed Gurley (12 touchdowns), who only had 857 yards. 

Others who made the list who didn’t finish in the top-5 in terms of rushing were Alvin Kamara (797 yards with 533 receiving yards) and Saquon Barkley (1,003 yards with 438 receiving yards in 13 games). And while they registered more receiving yards than Robinson, he outrushed both when comparing his 2020 season to their 2019 seasons. 

All of the aforementioned numbers certainly give Jags fans an argument if Robinson is left off the latest Top-100 Players list. As many are aware, the process is voted on by players, so it will come down to Robinson’s peers. Of course, his teammates who vote are going to vouch for him, but the key will be receiving votes outside of the Jags’ roster. That said, hopefully, the Jags’ 2020 opponents at least respected the skills they saw from Robinson.

Here’s where James Robinson stands in Jones-Drew’s running back rankings

MJD ranks Robinson as the No. 18 running back in the NFL.

James Robinson has a long lineage of talented Jacksonville running backs to live up to. Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew set a high standard for the position, and even though the game has changed in favor of the passing game, the rushing attack remains crucial.

After a breakout season in 2020 as an undrafted rookie, there’s a bit of disagreement about Robinson’s future. Some think he’ll remain the team’s feature back, while others think that role will eventually fall to Travis Etienne.

But one of those former star running backs for the Jags, Jones-Drew, thinks that Robinson will be able to earn that job, at least in 2021. The NFL.com analyst has Robinson among the better backs in the league, ranking 18th (just behind Kansas City’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire and ahead of Seattle’s Chris Carson).

An undrafted rookie in 2020, James Robinson has an explosive game and no shortage of creativity in the open field. If he were the clear RB1 in the Jags’ backfield this fall, I’d place him in the top 12, easy. But I have to consider that Jacksonville selected running back Travis Etienne in the first round. Who will end up getting the most touches? I’m afraid we’ll have to wait until September to get our answer.

Robinson finished tied for fifth in the league in rushing yards in 2020, but that can largely be attributed to his NFL-high carrying percentage. Etienne’s presence will likely mean that Robinson’s production will diminish, but he could still easily see No. 1 running back-level carries.

Considering all indications are that the team is eying a third-down running back role for Etienne, the path seems clear for Robinson to be the team’s top option on the ground again. If rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence can find success through the air, it should open up the run game quite a bit for Robinson.

Poll: How many rushing yards will James Robinson total in 2021?

Will James Robinson be able to repeat his 1,000-yard performance in 2021?

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ running back room enters the 2021 season as a bit of an enigma. Outside of the selection of quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the, shall we say, controversial signing of quarterback-turned-tight end Tim Tebow, one of the most common talking points around the team this offseason has been the way it will use its stable of running backs.

It seemed like a godsend for Jacksonville when James Robinson broke out in 2020. After waiving former fourth overall pick Leonard Fournette, who was promising at times but disappointing for the most part, before the season, it was unclear who would see the lion’s share of the carries for the Jags.

Robinson removed all doubt early on in the season, winning the starting job Week 1 and never looking back. The undrafted rookie finished fifth in the NFL in rushing with 1,070 yards, and it seemed Jacksonville had finally found the answer at running back (though a bit unintentionally).

But the Jags’ decision to take a running back in Travis Etienne with the 25th pick in the 2021 NFL draft raises questions about what Robinson’s role will be moving forward. With Etienne sure to absorb some of Robinson’s touches, what level of production is fair to expect from the latter this season?

Well, to start his production in 2020 is a bit misleading. Robinson led the league in carry percentage, and though his per attempt average of 4.5 was far from bad, it ranked just 22nd in the league among running backs. Robinson shouldered an unsustainable load last year, and seeing a decrease from his 240 attempts would be good for his longevity.

With that being said, does that mean that reaching 1,000 yards again isn’t an achievable goal? Not necessarily. Though Etienne will siphon some carries away from him (as will Carlos Hyde), neither is a real threat to replace him as Jacksonville’s primary ball-carrier. Etienne will most likely see the majority of his snaps on passing downs (and the majority of his production in receiving out of the backfield), while Hyde is a depth guy who may not play a major role in the rotation.

The Jaguars should also have some success in the passing game now, as the anemic quarterback play from a year ago should be a thing of the past, though Lawrence will certainly have rookie moments of his own. If the air attack is a legitimate threat, it could open things up more for Robinson in the run game.

Additionally, if Lawrence’s development takes a bit of time, new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell could rely heavily on the run game early in the season to help the rookie get acclimated.

Though there are factors working against Robinson matching his production from a year ago, there are also a lot of reasons to believe that he has the pieces around him to be more effective in 2021 than he was last year. Do you think Robinson will repeat his 1,000-yard performance this season? Vote in the poll down below to let us know.

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