Tag: ashawn robinson

It took 10 weeks, but we’ll finally get the chance to see Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers and A’Shawn Robinson on the same defensive line just a few days from now. Sean McVay told reporters on Monday that Robinson will make his Rams debut this week against the Seattle Seahawks when L.A. hosts them at SoFi Stadium.

Robinson was activated off the non-football injury list last week but wasn’t active against the Dolphins. The Rams wanted to give him some additional time to get acclimated after spending the first half of the season on NFI.

Sean McVay says DL A’Shawn Robinson will make his Rams debut this week against the Seahawks.

— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) November 9, 2020

Robinson makes an already-deep defensive line even better, likely stepping in for Sebastian Joseph-Day at nose tackle. The Rams will continue to rotate their defensive linemen with Robinson in the mix, getting Morgan Fox and Greg Gaines opportunities, too.

Robinson signed a two-year, $17 million contract with the Rams in free agency, which was before L.A. brought back Brockers when his deal with the Ravens fell through. Expectations and anticipation are both high for Brockers, and Sunday will be his first chance to prove himself to his new team.

The Los Angeles Rams’ defensive line just got even deeper. Ahead of their Week 8 matchup with the Dolphins, the Rams have officially activated A’Shawn Robinson to the 53-man roster.

He’s eligible to play immediately but Sean McVay said Friday that he’s not sure if Robinson will play Sunday in Miami. Robinson missed the first seven games of the season while on the non-football injury list after a cardiovascular condition was discovered this summer.

Welcome back, @AshawnRobinson!

We've activated Robinson to the 53-man roster. pic.twitter.com/Ss1X0ib9LH

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) October 30, 2020

Robinson was one of the Rams’ few notable free-agent signings this year, landing a two-year, $17 million contract with L.A. after leaving the Lions in March. He originally planned to opt out of the season due to COVID-19, but the Rams tweaked his contract to allow him to play if he wanted to after starting on the NFI list.

Robinson spent the first four years of his career with the Lions, recording 172 total tackles and an impressive 16 batted passes at the line. He joins Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers and a host of others up front for the Rams, likely taking snaps away from Sebastian Joseph-Day, Morgan Fox and Greg Gaines.

[vertical-gallery id=640174]

The Rams are set to get a big boost to their defensive line in the very near future. A’Shawn Robinson spent the first six weeks of the season on the non-football injury list, but he’s been designated to return and can be activated as early as Monday’s game against the Bears.

He practiced all week and looks good according to the coaches, but the Rams are still uncertain if he’ll play on Monday night.

After saying the team hasn’t made a decision on Robinson’s status yet, Sean McVay went on to say he looks ready to play.

“I think he looks like he’s ready to go,” McVay said. “Obviously, practice is a totally different physicality and level of performance than when you’re actually playing a real game, especially once you get a little bit ways into the season. But, if not this week then the hope will be next week. So, we’ll see with him, but he looked really good, moved around well, and looked like the guy that we thought he was with the career that he’s had up to this point.”

Robinson was one of the Rams’ biggest free-agent signings this offseason, giving him $17 million for two years. He landed on the NFI list, however, with a cardiovascular condition during training camp. When he does make his debut, he’ll join Aaron Donald, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Michael Brockers and a few others in the defensive line rotation.

Whether that will be on Monday night or the following week against the Dolphins remains to be seen.

The defensive line was supposed to be one of the deepest groups on the Rams’ roster after they signed A’Shawn Robinson and brought back Michael Brockers. With those two, as well as Aaron Donald, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Greg Gaines and Morgan Fox, there were almost endless combinations the Rams could draw up on paper.

But then Robinson landed on the NFI list with a cardiovascular condition and missed the first six weeks of the season. That kept Joseph-Day in a starting role and Brockers primarily playing nose tackle, but Robinson is on the verge of returning.

He’s now practicing and Sean McVay said Thursday that he could play as early as Monday night against the Bears. So what does that mean for the rest of the defensive line?

Initially, Robinson probably won’t be made a starter right away. The nose tackle spot will probably still be occupied by Joseph-Day and Gaines, who have done a decent job. But once Robinson gets his footing, he can play any spot up front for L.A.

“We feel like he fits our style of defensive lineman that we’re looking for,” defensive coordinator Brandon Staley said. “A guy that can really play. He can play nose, he can play defensive end in our base packages, he can also play either the two defensive tackle spots in sub defense, so we feel like he gives us some versatility, gives us some size and some experience.”

Sean McVay echoed Staley’s thoughts, once again emphasizing the importance and value of Robinson’s versatility. He’s not your typical two-down nose tackle, but rather a player who can play all three downs at any spot on the defensive line.

“You know, really the reason we brought him in when we signed him in the offseason was because he’s a player that can play on all three downs. He has versatility across the front, he can play in your base, he can play in your sub-packages. This is a really good football player that we expect to contribute in all of our personnel groupings and excited to add him to the mix of the defensive line sooner than later.”

The only player who won’t lose snaps due to Robinson’s return is Donald – or at least he shouldn’t. Robinson will likely play defensive end and nose tackle, which takes playing time away from Brockers, Joseph-Day, Gaines and Fox. Fox has had a surprisingly good season, so he shouldn’t have his snaps reduced even more, but Joseph-Day and Gaines will definitely see a reduction in playing time – even if not right away on Monday night.

This is a big addition to the Rams’ defensive line, especially for a team that has struggled against the run. Robinson’s arrival comes as a huge boost to an already-talented group, but one that needs to improve against the run.

After missing the first six weeks of the season on the non-football injury list, A’Shawn Robinson is gearing up for his return to the Rams. After being designated to return this week, he’s practicing for the first time on Thursday.

It’s his first session since training camp when he was sidelined with a cardiovascular condition. It apparently won’t take him long to get up and running, either. Sean McVay said on Thursday that Robinson could be activated to the 53-man roster as early as this week.

That would put him on track to potentially play on Monday night against the Chicago Bears.

McVay: Today is @AshawnRobinson's first practice with the team and he could be activated to the 53-man roster for Monday Night Football.

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) October 22, 2020

Needless to say, that would be a big boost to the defensive line in Los Angeles. The unit has struggled against the run this season, and Robinson’s best attribute is his ability to close up running lanes and stuff ball carriers.

He can play all across the defensive line, giving the Rams plenty of options with Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers, Sebastian Joseph-Day and Robinson. And that doesn’t include Morgan Fox and Greg Gaines, too, who have played valuable snaps.

Brandon Staley is excited to get Robinson back in the mix, saying Thursday that he gives the Rams size, versatility and experience up front.

Rams DC Brandon Staley says DL A’Shawn Robinson gives unit size, versatility and experience.

— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) October 22, 2020

The Rams signed Robinson to a two-year, $17 million contract this offseason after he started his career with the Lions. Neither McVay nor Staley have said where Robinson would factor into the defensive line mix, but they both like the position flexibility he brings, even if not a starter.

[vertical-gallery id=639813]

Reinforcements are on the way for the Los Angeles Rams’ struggling run defense. On Wednesday, the team announced that it has designated A’Shawn Robinson to return from the non-football injury list.

Robinson has yet to play a game for the Rams after landing on the NFI list in August, which kept him out of training camp and the first six games of the season. However, with Robinson now being designated to return, the first step toward him making his debut with the Rams is done.

DT @AshawnRobinson has been designated for return pic.twitter.com/GWSf6ifNtx

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) October 21, 2020

Robinson can begin practicing this week now that he has missed six weeks. Sean McVay said Monday that Robinson will return to practice and potentially play in a game “maybe in the next couple weeks.”

Just because Robinson has been designated to return doesn’t mean he’s eligible to play on Monday against the Bears. NFI list rules state that a player has to miss the first eight games of the season if placed on the list before the season begins – which Robinson was.

In order for Robinson to suit up and play in a game, the Rams must first add him to the 53-man roster – which won’t happen for at least a couple of weeks. When they do, they’ll have to free up a roster spot, since Robinson isn’t taking one up right now.

The first game Robinson can play in is Week 10 against the Seahawks, which comes after the Rams’ bye. That’s also the first game Jordan Fuller will be eligible to return for, so if both wind up playing, it’ll be a huge boost to a defense that will be going up against a high-powered Seahawks attack.

The Rams signed Robinson to a two-year, $17 million contract this offseason. He originally planned to opt out of the season due to the pandemic, but the Rams tweaked his contract to keep the door open for him to play – which it seems he now plans to do.

[vertical-gallery id=639813]

The Rams didn’t make many notable additions in the offseason, but one of their biggest was the signing of A’Shawn Robinson to shore up the defensive line. He has yet to play a single snap with Los Angeles, however, after he was sidelined with a cardiovascular issue in August.

He missed all of training camp while on the non-football injury list, which has forced him to miss the first six weeks of the season, too. Robinson originally planned to opt out of the season due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the Rams tweaked his contract to give him the option to play after starting the year on NFI.

Robinson is eligible to start practicing this week, and according to Sean McVay, he’s ready to get back on the field. On the Coach McVay Show with J.B. Long and D’Marco Farr, McVay said Robinson will practice this week and could make his Rams debut “maybe in the next couple weeks.”

“He has been doing a great job, getting a lot of work in with Coach Lovett and being on a strict regimen,” he said. “Now we’re looking forward to getting him back practicing this week and hopefully in the near future, maybe in the next couple weeks, we’ll be able to see him actually participate and play on game day. And we’ll obviously have to get him up and active for that, but it’ll be good to get him back practicing this week.”

The Rams signed Robinson after believing they had lost Michael Brockers to the Ravens. But after Brockers’ deal fell through, the Rams swooped in and brought him back to play alongside Robinson and Aaron Donald.

Now with Robinson on the verge of returning, the defensive line is getting crowded. But that’s a good problem, says McVay.

“With all those guys,” McVay said when asked where Robinson fits in. “You can’t have enough big bodies that have some position flex across the interior part of your front and that’s what he’ll reflect for us. It’ll be good to just get him out there and like anything else, kind of carve that role out for yourself based on how you perform. But his versatility, being able to play those interior spots all across the line is something we feel like can be a real positive.”

With the Lions, Robinson primarily played defensive tackle. His role in L.A. isn’t exactly clear, but he can line up essentially anywhere on the defensive line. He can rotate in at nose tackle with Sebastian Joseph-Day, relieve Brockers at defensive end or even sub in for Donald at 3-technique if needed.

The Rams have two more games before their Week 9 bye, and McVay didn’t say whether Robinson could return before or after the week off. But based on his comments, it seems as if there’s at least a chance Robinson will make his debut before the Rams get their break in Week 9.

[vertical-gallery id=639813]