Tag: James Robinson

Washington Commanders work out two former Saints running backs

The Washington Commanders worked out former Saints running backs James Robinson and Boston Scott after the team took some hits at the position:

The Washington Commanders worked out former New Orleans Saints running backs James Robinson and Boston Scott to help fill the void after the team took some hits at the position.

Washington has been held back on the ground by the losses of Brian Robinson to an ankle injury and with Austin Ekeler dealing with concussion issues. They are now left with only Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez in reserve, both of whom were recently re-signed.

Robinson and Scott could provide some relief here, even if only for the interim.

It was not long ago the Saints too kicked the tires on Scott, their former sixth-round draft pick from the 2018 NFL draft out of Louisiana Tech. He did not make the active roster and was later picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles on the practice squad. He was solid in Philadelphia, putting up 1,295 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on 302 carries with the Eagles. He also tallied 71 receptions for 566 yards and a single score.

Robinson, who played out his college career at Illinois State, was a part of the Saints’ practice squad back in 2023 and he most recently played in just one game for the Green Bay Packers after spending some time with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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Titans work out veteran running backs ahead of Week 4

The Titans work out multiple veterans on Tuesday.

The Tennessee Titans have not gotten off to a good start in 2024.

The team is 0-3 and entrenched at the bottom of the AFC South. As expected, the team started bringing in free agents for workouts this week.

Per KPRC 2 Houston’s Aaron Wilson, the Titans brought in four running backs for a workout on Tuesday.

The team brought in Elijah Dotson, Joshua Kelley, James Robinson, and Isaiah Spiller.

Dotson, Kelley, and Spiller are all former members of the  Los Angeles Chargers. Kelley spent four seasons in LA, taking 320 carries for 1,148 yards and six touchdowns.

Dotson saw the field sparingly as an undrafted free agent in 2023, and Spiller received just 55 carries over two seasons.

Robinson is easily the most accomplished player of the four brought in. Titans fans will remember Robinson for his tenure with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2020-22.

In 2020, as a UDFA, Robinson took the starting RB job in Jacksonville and finished with 1,070 yards and seven TDs. Robinson then spent time with the New York Jets in 2022 before playing one game with the Green Bay Packers in 2023.

The Titans only have three RBs on the roster right now with Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, and Julius Chestnut. Spears was recently dealing with an injury and Chestnut was responsible for a blocked punt in Week 2.

Jabari Small is on the Titans’ practice squad and could be called upon as well.

Saints part ways with running backs James Robinson and Jacob Kibodi

The New Orleans Saints have begun to trim down on their running back depth, releasing James Robinson and waiving Jacob Kibodi:

The New Orleans Saints have continued their roster cut-down process to get to the 53-man roster needed by this afternoon. This has included multiple running backs, veteran James Robinson and rookie Jacob Kibodi. These reports came out via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill respectively.

This comes after a solid performance by Kibodi in the Saints’ third preseason game, where he had 12 carries for 59 yards and two touchdowns, as well as a solid overall preseason for Robinson after coming off injuries in previous months. Unfortunately, both were caught up in the roster trim down, as Robinson was released and Kibodi was waived due to their respective service time in the NFL.

Ultimately, this leaves the Saints with four running backs available, pending any more moves on the horizon. Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams, Kendre Miller, and Jordan Mims are the four remaining, and pending the severity of Miller’s injury, they could be starting off with three for the first week or beyond. Maybe they like someone who has been released elsewhere, or maybe they prefer to ride with these four and see what happens. Regardless, the running back room is trimmed down to about the right size for now.

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Countdown To Kickoff: James Robinson is the Saints Player of Day 26

James Robinson could be a potential diamond in the rough for the New Orleans Saints in 2024. He’s the Saints Player of Day 26:

Just 26 days are left until the New Orleans Saints officially kick off their 2024 season. And one player to take note of within the running back corps is James Robinson, who the Saints added to the practice squad for the last three games of the 2023 season.

Here’s everything to know about Robinson, who wears the No. 26 for the Saints:

  • Name (Age): James Robinson (26)
  • Position: Running back
  • Height, weight: 5-foot-9, 219 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 7.85
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $1,055,000
  • College: Illinois State
  • Drafted: Undrafted in 2020 (Jacksonville Jaguars)
  • NFL experience: 6th season

Robinson certainly isn’t one of the Saints’ premier running backs, but he is a player who could prove a true diamond in the rough for the 2024 season. Robinson originally began his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Illinois State in 2020.

He far exceeded the expectations, shocking many when he earned a roster spot and was a starter in the Jags backfield on opening day. Robinson only expounded upon the opportunity presented to him, taking full advantage en route to recording 1,070 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns on the ground on 240 carries, leading the team in rushing.

He once again led the team in that category the following season, though his numbers weren’t quite as strong with a total of 767 rushing yards.

Robinson’s success dwindled from that point, largely a result of the injury bug, after he was traded by Jacksonville to the New York Jets roughly halfway through the 2022 season.

Between the Jets and the Packers in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Robinson saw action in just five games, amassing 87 rushing yards on 30 carries.

He’ll look to get back to his former level of play and stay healthy in New Orleans, looking to serve as a depth piece who could become more as he primarily battles Jamaal Williams, Jordan Mims, and Kendre Miller behind Alvin Kamara.

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Saints expected to sign veteran RB James Robinson to their practice squad

The New Orleans Saints are signing veteran running back James Robinson to their practice squad after a group tryout, pending a physical:

This is worth monitoring. Veteran running back James Robinson plans to sign with the New Orleans Saints practice squad after a physical, as first reported by NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill.

Underhill adds that Robinson is one of several running backs who tried out for the Saints this week, along with Jerrion Ealy, John Lovett, and old friend Ty Montgomery. Robinson ran well for the Jacksonville Jaguars early in his career but has since bounced around the league, making stops with the New York Jets, New England Patriots, New York Giants, and Green Bay Packers.

The Saints are shorthanded at the position with Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams alone on top of the depth chart; rookie draft pick Kendre Miller hasn’t practiced since a Nov. 5 ankle injury, and Jordan Mims has only played special teams when coming up from the practice squad.

It’s possible the Saints just wanted more reliable depth in the backfield, but they could be considering shutting down Miller so he can attack the offseason at full health. We’ll get a better idea when the injury report drops on Wednesday afternoon, so stay tuned.

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Packers sign RB Kenyan Drake to practice squad, release RB James Robinson

The Green Bay Packers swapped one veteran running back on the practice squad for another on Tuesday

The Green Bay Packers swapped one veteran running back on the practice squad for another on Tuesday. The team announced the release of running back James Robinson from the practice squad and the signing of running back Kenyan Drake.

Robinson, a practice squad elevation in Week 13, played four snaps during the Packers’ 27-19 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. He carried once for two yards and caught one pass for -2 yards.

Taking his place will be Drake, a 2016 third-round pick who has played in 103 career NFL games. He was recently released from the practice squad of the Cleveland Browns. The Packers will be Drake’s fourth team in 2023; he previously spent time with the Browns, Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts.

Drake appeared in two games for the Ravens this season. He carried once for no gain and caught two passes for 31 yards (long of 24). Last season, Drake played in 12 games for the Ravens, producing 571 total yards and five scores.

The Packers are getting experience and versatility from Drake, who has 868 career carries, 218 career catches and 41 career kickoff returns over 3,016 snaps on offense and 457 on special teams.

It’s possible Drake will be an immediate practice squad elevation candidate and a valuable insurance option at running back should the team want to move on from Patrick Taylor when Aaron Jones (knee) is healthy enough to play again. Taylor was claimed off the Patriots practice squad and is required to be on the roster for at least one more game.

The Packers also made official the addition of cornerback David Long, who was claimed off waivers from the Panthers on Monday.

Packers elevate RB James Robinson, FB Henry Pearson from practice squad for Week 13 vs. Chiefs

The Packers elevated RB James Robinson and FB Henry Pearson from the practice squad to the gameday roster for Week 13 vs. the Chiefs.

The Green Bay Packers elevated running back James Robinson and fullback Henry Pearson from the practice squad to the gameday roster for Week 13. The move was announced Saturday, making Robinson and Pearson available for Matt LaFleur and the Packers for Sunday night’s showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs at Lambeau Field.

The elevations are an answer to the Packers’ injury problems at running back, fullback and tight end.

Aaron Jones will miss a second straight game with a knee injury, and A.J. Dillon is expected to play through a groin injury. Robinson, a veteran, provides an emergency option at running back behind Dillon and Patrick Taylor. He was on the active roster for Week 12 but did not play a snap during the Packers’ win over the Detroit Lions.

Pearson is up for the second consecutive week. His elevation suggests Josiah Deguara is in danger of missing another game because of a hip injury. Pearson can handle the H-back snaps and even play some tight end if needed behind Tucker Kraft and Ben Sims.

Pearson played two run-blocking snaps last week. He was also on the field for 10 special teams snaps.

This is the sixth time the Packers have used both elevations in a week this season.

All teams are allowed to elevate up to two players from the practice squad each week. An individual player can only be elevated from the practice squad three times per season, so Robinson has two elevations remaining and Pearson one.  On Monday, Robinson and Pearson will revert back to the practice squad.

Elevations by week

Week 1: RB Patrick Taylor, DB Innis Gaines
Week 2: RB Patrick Taylor, DB Innis Gaines
Week 3: RB Patrick Taylor, CB Corey Ballentine
Week 4: CB Corey Ballentine, CB Kiondre Thomas
Week 5: CB Corey Ballentine
Week 7: None
Week 8: None
Week 9: DB Innis Gaines
Week 10: None
Week 11: S Benny Sapp III
Week 12: S Benny Sapp III, FB Henry Pearson
Week 13: RB James Robinson, FB Henry Pearson

Packers release WR Bo Melton and RB James Robinson

The team announced the release of receiver Bo Melton and running back James Robinson on Monday.

Two players signed from the practice squad before the Green Bay Packers’ 29-22 win over the Detroit Lions were released to start Week 13 on Monday. The team announced the release of receiver Bo Melton and running back James Robinson.

Short-handed at both positions due to injury, the Packers signed Melton and Robinson to the 53-man roster last Wednesday.

Melton played two snaps — including the final kneel down — on offense and six snaps on special teams against the Lions. Robinson was active but did not play a snap behind A.J. Dillon and Patrick Taylor at running back.

The Packers got back rookie receiver Dontayvion Wicks at practice on Monday, while Dillon and Taylor can probably handle the workload at running back until Aaron Jones (knee injury) is back.

It’s certainly possible, if not likely, that Melton and Robinson are back on the practice squad by Wednesday.

What will happen with the two open 53-man roster spots? Safety Darnell Savage and cornerback Eric Stokes have both been designated to return from injury reserve and would need a roster spot should they be ready to play this week against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Instant analysis of Packers signing James Robinson to provide much-needed RB depth

The Packers will add veteran RB James Robinson to the practice squad to provide depth on Thursday vs. the Lions.

With a short week looming, the Green Bay Packers all of a sudden found themselves short-handed at the running back position on Sunday following injuries to Aaron Jones and Emanuel Wilson, leaving AJ Dillon as the lone back.

“That’s a great question,” said Matt LaFleur after Sunday’s game when asked how the Packers would address the position on a short week. “We’ll have a solution for it. I trust Gutey (Brian Gutekunst) and I know he and his staff are on it and we’ll have a solution for that. But it’s another great challenge.”

The solution, as first reported by Packer Central’s Bill Huber, was to sign James Robinson. ESPN’s Rob Demovsky would later add that Robinson was signed to the practice squad. As a result of the addition, a corresponding cut will have to follow.

After being signed to the practice squad in mid-October, Robinson was released by Green Bay on Nov. 7 to make room for running back Ellis Merriweather, who the team signed in his place.

Robinson is still just 25 years old but has been unable to gain traction since returning from an Achilles injury he suffered  in 2021. Upon his return in 2022, Robinson was traded from Jacksonville to the New York Jets. All together, he averaged just 3.9 yards per rush on 110 attempts with 11 catches and five total touchdowns. He was released by the Jets this past spring and spent some time with the New York Giants before originally joining the Packers practice squad.

Prior to this injury, Robinson burst onto the scene with the Jaguars as an undrafted rookie out of Illinois State in 2020. As a dual-threat running back that season, Robinson rushed for over 1,000 yards at 4.5 yards per attempt. In the passing game, he caught 49 of the 56 passes thrown his way at 7.0 yards per catch and had 10 total touchdowns. Before suffering that Achilles injury in 2021, Robinson was again closing in on 1,000 yards at a 4.7-yard clip.

“I can see why this guy rushed for 1,000 yards as a rookie,” position coach Ben Sirmans said. “You can see he’s got good vision, he’s got good instincts, he’s patient. His ability to find a crease, because he moves just fast enough to let things develop in front of him, and then he can interpret what he sees and, bam, he’s hitting it. I’ve been pretty pleased with him. I totally feel confident that, if he’s got to go in the game, he would give us some production based off of what I’ve seen so far without being live.”

With Robinson and Merriweather on the practice squad, the Packers could choose to utilize their two game day elevations on each of these players. That way they won’t have to officially add anyone to the 53-man roster, which would result in a cut having to be made as well in order to make room.

Dillon is going to be the feature back, of course, and handle a lot of the workload in Detroit. How the Packers go about divvying up playing time between Robinson and possibly Merriweather remains to be seen, although I would guess that Robinson — given his experience — will the No. 2 running back option for Green Bay.

Against a fierce Lions’ pass rush that bullied the Packers offensive line in Week 4, pressuring Love on nearly 50 percent of his dropbacks, having a run game to lean on for Green Bay will be a must this time around if the offense is going to find success. A capable rushing attack can help open up opportunities in the passing game and help keep the offense out of predictable second and third-and-long situations.

Wilson left Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury and Jones a knee injury. The timetable for each player’s potential return is unknown at this time, but we did receive some good news in regards to Jones after the game, with LaFleur saying that he did not anticipate it being a long-term injury.

“I don’t think it’s long term,” said LaFleur post-game. “It certainly looked bad, and I was really concerned just seeing it live. I didn’t see a replay or anything, but seeing it live did not look good. He’s in good spirits in there and hopefully it’s just a short-term deal.”

All 5 times Trent Baalke made a midseason trade as GM

Will the Jaguars be aggressive at the trade deadline?

The Jacksonville Jaguars are 5-2 and have one more game before the Oct. 31 trade deadline.

Clearly, the Jaguars view themselves as a legitimate contender with hopes of their first ever Super Bowl appearance. But does that mean Jacksonville is content with the current state of its roster, or does it mean the team will want to make a stronger push by acquiring another player or two?

The Philadelphia Eagles already went with the latter strategy by sending two draft picks and a player to the Tennessee Titans for two-time All-Pro safety Kevin Byard.

To figure out if the Jaguars are a team likely to do the same, it’s informative to look into Trent Baalke’s past as a general manager. In two previous seasons with Jacksonville and six years running the San Francisco 49ers, he’s made just five trades between the start of the regular season and the trade deadline. Here’s all of them: