The Dallas Cowboys had a slew of players who lined up at the cornerback position in 2020. 10 different players took snaps at the position as a result of injury, poor play and COVID-19 related results. If a fan got lost along the way of which player had which number it was understandable. To make matters worse, a fourth-round rookie who the team refused to let see the field at the position he was drafted for shared a last name and first initial with a practice squad player who was elevated, confusing the majority of Cowboys Nation.
It was Rashard Robinson who ended up getting 186 defensive snaps last year and it’s Rashard Robinson who ended up on the wrong side of the NFL’s transaction ledger on Tuesday when it was announced he’s been suspended for the first two games of the 2021 season due to a PED violation.
Cowboys CB Rashard Robinson has been suspended without pay for the first two games of the 2021 regular season for violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances.
He is eligible to participate in all preseason practices and games.— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) April 20, 2021
Robinson was a fourth-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 2016 and after two years in that organization spent two more with the New York Jets. He wasn’t rostered in 2019 but was with Dallas in 2020 when the attrition began. He was activated in November as part of the change in league policy that allowed the team to use practice squad players on the game-day roster without changing their contract status. Things were so bad, he ended up starting the following week, a 41-17 blitzing by the Washington Football team and then was added to the roster fully in Week 13. He started three games before returning to be inactive for the final stretch of the season.
He finished with 20 official tackles and Pro Football Focus says he was responsible for allowing two passing touchdowns.
His base salary for 2021 is $990,000, none of it guaranteed if the team chooses to walk away from the player for whatever reason. If he does make the roster, he will sit Weeks 1 and 2, and forgo 1/9th of this salary which will not count on the team’s cap. Robinson is eligible for all other team related activities through the offseason.
Robinson would be in a veteran competition with special team star CJ Goodwin, Reggie Robinson, Muarice Canady (who opted out of 2020), Saivion Smith and Deante Burton for snaps behind Trevon Diggs, Anthony Brown and Jourdan Lewis.
Dallas already had a need for cornerback and they are expected to try and remedy that with one of their early picks in next week’s amateur draft.
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