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:

Packers adding veteran RB James Robinson

The Packers are adding veteran running back James Robinson.

The Green Bay Packers are adding veteran running back James Robinson, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

UPDATE: Robinson was signed to the practice squad.

It’s unclear at this point if Robinson will be signed to the 53-man roster — which would require a corresponding roster move — or if he’ll be added to the practice squad, where there’s an open spot. The transaction should be processed Tuesday. Either way, Robinson’s arrival would seem to suggest the end of Patrick Taylor’s time in Green Bay. Taylor was signed to the 53-man roster ahead of last week’s loss to the Las Vegas Raiders but subsequently released a day after, and he hasn’t been re-added to the roster in any capacity.

The Packers currently have Aaron Jones, A.J. Dillon and rookie Emanuel Wilson on the 53-man roster at running back. There is no running back on the practice squad.

Robinson, 25, arrived in the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Illinois State. He rushed for 1,070 yards and scored 10 total touchdowns as a rookie in 2020, but an Achilles tendon injury changed the course of his pro career. With the Jaguars and Jets last season, Robinson rushed for 425 yards over 11 games.

The Jaguars traded Robinson to the Jets midway through last season. He was released by the Jets in March, signed by the Patriots five days later but then released by the Patriots in June, and signed by the Giants in July but then released in August.

Robinson worked out for the Packers earlier this month.

Over 39 career games, Robinson has 2,262 rushing yards, 18 rushing touchdowns, 89 receptions, 612 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns.

Top available free agent running backs for the Lions to consider

Top available free agent running backs for the Lions to consider with the injuries piling up at RB

The Detroit Lions running back room looked like a strength for the team entering the season. While the position group has performed well thus far, injuries have become an issue for the team.

David Montgomery has been the bellcow for Detroit’s offense, taking 94 carries over five games. He is now slated to miss some time due to a rib injury suffered in the game against Tampa Bay.

Rookie Jahmyr Gibbs has also missed some time due to injury. If he is to return soon, he should be the featured back for the Lions.

The only other running back on the active roster is Craig Reynolds, who has been serviceable in a backup role. Zonovan Knight is likely spending the rest of the season on injured reserve and Devine Ozigbo is sitting ready on the practice squad.

At this point in the season, there are not many free agent options available to choose from. Here are five players who could be brought in to help provide depth at running back for Detroit:

Packers host workout for former Jaguars RB James Robinson

The Packers worked out former Jaguars RB James Robinson on Monday.

The Green Bay Packers hosted a workout on Monday for former Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Robinson, who played three seasons with the Jaguars before being traded to the New York Jets last year, is a free agent. The former Illinois State star and undrafted free agent rushed for 2,177 yards and 18 touchdowns and caught 89 passes over 35 games with the Jaguars between 2020 and 2022. He played in just four games and was inactive six times with New York last season.

The Jets released Robinson in March. He spent time with the New England Patriots and New York Giants during the offseason but has been without a team since final cuts in late August. He previously worked out for the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens.

Robinson, 25, tore his Achilles late in the 2021 season and hasn’t been an impact player since the injury.

In 2020, Robinson — then a rookie — rushed for over 100 yards against the Packers at Lambeau Field. He finished his first NFL season with 1,070 rushing yards, 49 catches and 10 total touchdowns.

No signing was reported as of Monday afternoon. The Packers could view Robinson as a potential veteran option to pair with Aaron Jones, who has already missed two games to injury, and A.J. Dillon, who is struggling mightily to open the 2023 season, at running back. It’s possible Robinson could be a practice squad option as well.

Per Rob Demovsky of ESPN, the Packers also worked out the following players on Monday:

RB Clint Ratkovich
LB Olakunle Fatukasi
CB Thakarius Keyes
S Christian Young

Workouts in the NFL are common on off days early in the week. The team may just be checking in on Robinson and the four other players to update their “available players” board.

Ravens to work out several running backs ahead of Week 3 matchup vs. Colts

The Baltimore #Ravens are reportedly set to host Kenyan Drake, Ronald Jones and James Robinson for free agent workouts ahead of Week 3 via @Thacover2NFL

The Ravens are banged up at the running back position and with J.K. Dobbins and Keaton Mitchell both out with injuries, Jeff Zrebiec is reporting that the team will host several free agents for workouts.

Veterans Kenyan Drake, Ronald Jones and James Robinson are in Baltimore for a group workout.