Tag: Illinois State

Jags’ James Robinson discusses his mindset for Week 1, top attributes and going undrafted

Jags undrafted RB James Robinson is set to take the field as a starter against the Colts and begin what could be a great underdog story.

When the Jacksonville Jaguars entered this offseason, many of their fans expected to see running back Leonard Fournette return as a starter in 2020. However, last month the team shockingly waived him, ending his career in Jacksonville before he could even play out his rookie contract.

The move was one that eventually made undrafted rookie James Robinson the Jags’ No. 1 running back for the 2020 season. While some are skeptical about the decision and worried about there being a drop-off, Robinson seemed calm, cool and collected Friday when meeting with the media.

“No, not at all,” Robinson said to the Jacksonville media when asked if he was nervous about Week 1’s game against the Indianapolis Colts. “At the same time, I have ten other guys on the field with me that’s working for the same goal and that’s to win. So, no, I’m not nervous at all.”

While the Jags will have a lot of new faces on the defensive side, there will be a wide array of returning starters on the offensive side, so one could see why Robinson is comfortable with the group around him. Included in that group will be the same starting five offensive linemen from 2019, who the staff is banking on being better due to the lack of changes. For Robinson’s sake, this could be a big plus and could lead to a solid start to his career after an ultra-productive one at Illinois State.

The Jags’ confidence in Robinson has been clear for almost a month now and the same applies to his teammates. In fact, the team’s most experienced running back, Chris Thompson, even went as far as recently saying Robinson has the best vision in the running backs room. Robinson echoed those sentiments Friday when asked about the three best aspects of his game.

“I’d say vision, making the first guy miss and I would say my acceleration through the hole,” he said.

As for his journey into the league, Robinson also discussed how the draft process went for him. After an ultra-productive college career where he garnered 4,444 yards and 44 touchdowns at Illinois State, a solid showing in the Shrine Game, and a good combine, he felt that some team would take him, but ultimately that wasn’t the case.

“Yeah, once I left, I felt like I did pretty well and I would have a good chance of being drafted,” Robinson said about the combine. “Honestly, everyone wants to get drafted, but towards the end, it wasn’t really looking good. So, I was waiting on a team to call and pick me up and the Jaguars did and I’m thankful for that.”

We shared the story of just how the Jags landed Robinson after the draft. In a nutshell, Jags scout Marty Miller was in charge of getting in contact with the undrafted running backs for Doug Marrone and the staff. He was having little luck finding players but his wife, Kerinda, encouraged him to call Robinson who he was certain had been picked up. Sure enough, Robinson was available and ended up signing with the Jags though he said there was interest from the San Francisco 49ers, too.

Now, after a very unique journey, Robinson is about 23 hours from his first start. If he’s successful as the Jags believe he can be, Robinson could be another great underdog story, which is something Jags fans have seen on multiple occasions in recent history.

Listen to the latest from Jags Wire’s own James Johnson and Phil Smith on their podcast “Bleav in the Jags.” Subscribe via Apple Podcasts and check out our archived episodes via Bleav Podcasts.

Jags’ 2020 undrafted free agent class ranked sixth in the NFL

While the Jacksonville Jaguars haven’t had the best luck with making draft selections since general manager Dave Caldwell was hired, they’ve certainly had better luck than others when it comes to undrafted gems. Names like Allen Hurns, Allen Lazard …

While the Jacksonville Jaguars haven’t had the best luck with making draft selections since general manager Dave Caldwell was hired, they’ve certainly had better luck than others when it comes to undrafted gems. Names like Allen Hurns, Allen Lazard (temporarily), Keelan Cole, and Tre Herndon are some of the more recent names who come to mind, all of whom have helped the Jags in a big way (aside from Lazard).

With the Jags needing to improve upon a six-win season last year, many will be hoping to land a gem or two from the team’s 2020 undrafted crop of players, which consists of some interesting names. According to Rotoworld’s Thor Nystrom, the Jags may just have some players who can continue the trend of contributing via the final roster as he ranked the Jags’ undrafted class sixth in the league. He also singled out two members of the group specifically in cornerback Luq Barcoo and running back James Robinson.

If you’re looking for this year’s Philip Lindsay candidate, the leading contender in the clubhouse right now has to be James Robinson. How did this kid not get drafted?! Uber-productive in the FCS, the compact, hard-charging Robinson proved in Indy that athletically everything in the profile checks out except long speed. And his well-rounded game includes plenty of experience in the receiving game. If Robinson hits, you have a potential low-end three-down option. We know Ryquell Armstead can’t catch. So if Leonard Fournette is traded, Robinson not only looks like a good bet to make the team, but a strong bet to carve out, at minimum, a situational role as a rookie.

I also loved the CB Luq Barcoo signing. Jacksonville must have had furious competition for him, as they gave Barcoo a UDFA record $180,000 in guarantees. Ironically, that was better than Barcoo would have gotten had he been picked in Rounds 6 or 7. Barcoo exploded last season for the San Diego State Aztecs, with nine interceptions and 16 pass breakups to earn Thorpe Award semifinalist honors and a third-team All-American nod. He’s a bit spindly, but you have to love the length and ball skills. And although we didn’t get to see him test, Barcoo is reportedly a strong athlete. He’s raw, sure. But this is the kind of kid you want to take a flier on in the UDFA sweepstakes.

I agree with his analysis of both players for the most part as both were projected to make the team in my super-early final 53-man roster predictions. Robinson’s production on the FCS level was especially intriguing as he finished his career with Illinois State with 4,444 total rushing yards and 44 touchdowns. While the competition he faced didn’t compare to others, he still was impressive enough to get a shot as a sixth or seventh-round pick.

As for Barcoo, there isn’t a reason why he shouldn’t be able to make the team as a CB4 if he plays to his potential. At 6-foot-1, 175-pounds, he will have to add some weight to his frame but the length is evident (measured in with 32-inch arms). He has good reaction to defenders and great athleticism, too, which are two traits that can take a cornerback a long way.

Georgia safety J.R. Reed is another notable who we projected to make the final roster, too, but wasn’t mentioned by Nystrom. He was a leader for an elite defense with the Bulldogs who was rarely out of place and made crucial plays when crunch time came.

When adding in the potential of Robinson, Barcoo, and Reed plus the contributions the Jags could get from their 12 rookie selections, this could be a draft class that gets the Jags going in the right direction. With the staff emphasizing getting younger, it wouldn’t be shocking to see a handful of rookies starting for the team and one may even be an undrafted player.

Small-school running back could intrigue Chargers in 2020 NFL Draft

Remember this name in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The future of running back Melvin Gordon, who is set to become a free agent, remains to be seen. While Gordon has indicated that he would like to be back, it appears that general manager Tom Telesco is going to let him test the market.

If Gordon isn’t back with the Chargers, that leaves Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson making up the backfield. Both showed to make a solid tandem while the former Wisconsin product was absent due to his holdout at the beginning of the 2019 season.

Even though Los Angeles can roll into the 2020 season with those two, it’s more than likely that they will look to shore up the final spot, especially if they choose to not re-sign Troymaine Pope, as well.

Rather than throwing a lot of money at a free agent, L.A. could solidify the position in a way that they have been successful – drafting one late (Jackson) or signing an undrafted free agent (Ekeler).

If the Chargers were to go this route, former Illinois State’s James Robinson has the makings to contribute.

After finishing his All-American season in 2019 where he rushed for 1,917 yards, Robinson raised eyebrows of NFL evaluators at the Shrine Bowl, finishing with 137 yards from scrimmage, including a 63-yard touchdown run.

Robinson was then invited to the 2020 NFL Combine. Coming in at 5-foot-9 and 219 pounds, had a solid showing where he finished with great agility and explosiveness when it came to the testing portion.

Robinson finished with 24 reps on the bench press, which tied for the third-most among running backs, a 40-inch vertical, which was the second, a 7.03 3-cone, which was fifth and a 4.19 20-yard shuttle, which was third.

The Rockford native played in 46 games for the Redbirds, starting 39 of them. Robinson isn’t a burner, but has a powerful running style to break tackles where he would be able to pick up yards on first and second-down situations, as well as the strength to pick up defenders on third-down.

Robinson, who is looking to become the first Illinois State player to be drafted since 2007, could garner the attention of the Chargers on Day 3 of the 2020 NFL Draft, addressing a need and getting solid value out of it.

Notre Dame’s Tony Jones and Chris Finke Participate in Shrine Game

Either Finke or Jones getting drafted remains unlikely for April’s NFL Draft

Tony Jones, Jr. and Chris Finke spent Saturday representing Notre Dame at the 2020 East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg, Florida.

It wasn’t the showing either were likely looking for as Jones gained just five yards on seven carries for the West squad while Finke was held without a reception.

Neither Finke or Jones getting drafted remains unlikely for April’s NFL Draft, something we discussed when Jones announced he’d be entering a couple weeks ago.

As for the game, Benny LeMay of Charlotte led all rushers with 86 yards and two scores on 15 carries and was named offensive MVP.

James Robinson of Illinois State racked up 80 yards as well, 65 of which came on a fourth quarter touchdown run.

Finally, former Navy quarterback and Notre Dame opponent Malcom Perry got one carry, taking it to the house for a 52 yard touchdown.

Adrian Killins, Jr. of UCF had a game-high 92 receiving yards.

Luther Kirk of Illinois State was named defensive MVP after recording a pair of tackles and an interception.

The East defeated the West 31-27.