James

Robinson

Robinson spent time this season with the Patriots, Giants and most recently the Packers. He latches on with the Saints to provide some more depth behind Alvin Kamara.

Robinson has been on a furious tour around the league since being traded by the Jaguars in October 2022. The veteran running back has spent time with the Jets, Patriots, Giants, and Packers since being dealt by the Jaguars, and is struggling to stick on a team for more than a few months. His release from the Packers comes less than a month after his signing, as he will now look for another opportunity elsewhere.

The Packers hosted Robinson for a visit a little more than two weeks ago, and have now brought him in as added depth to their running back room. Robinson is likely joining the Packers’ practice squad, and will still need to work his way onto the 53-man roster. Robinson has split time with the Jets, Patriots, and Giants since being traded from the Jaguars last October. The veteran running back has yet to prove he’s fully recovered from a torn Achilles suffered at the end of 2021, but will have a chance to do so with the Pack.

Since being traded to the Jets last October, Robinson has signed with the Patriots and Giants, and visited with the Colts — this is just since March. The former UDFA who totaled 1,414 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns as a rookie hasn’t been able to stick on a roster since suffering a torn Achilles at the end of the 2021 campaign. Given his age (25) and how long it can take running backs to fully bounce back from his injury, it’s possible Robinson eventually lands on a 53-man roster. Perhaps that’s with the Packers, who have looked glaringly thin behind Aaron Jones, as AJ Dillon has gotten off to a painfully slow start to his season.

This is what teams do when they’re at odds with their star running backs. With Jonathan Taylor out for at least the first four weeks after being placed on the PUP list, and Kenyan Drake released during roster cutdowns, the Colts met with Robinson to see what he could provide in the immediate future. Since being traded to the Jets in October, Robinson has bounced around between the Patriots and Giants this offseason, and is now in search of his third team in the last five months. A torn Achilles suffered at the end of 2021 has all but derailed Robinson’s once promising career, but the 25-year-old back isn’t holding out hope of landing another job. Even if he catches on with the Colts, it could be a brief stay as Zack Moss (forearm) is expected to return in the coming weeks.

The Giants will move forward with rookie Eric Gray and Matt Breida behind Saquon Barkley. The release could be good for Robinson, who didn’t have a path to snaps once Barkley ended his holdout. Robinson has been on four different rosters since October and will now look to resurface before Week 1.

Robinson is on his fourth team since October 2022. The Jaguars traded him to the Jets, who opted not to renew his contract at the end of the season. He signed a two-year contract with the Patriots earlier this offseason but was cut just months into his new deal and landed with the Giants soon after. Injuries have reportedly been a concern for Robinson, who suffered a torn Achilles at the end of the 2021 season. Robinson rushed six times for nine yards in the Giants’ first preseason game against the Lions and has reportedly been outperformed in camp by Jashaun Corbin

Rookies and select veterans have already reported for training camp in New York, though this move is likely to go ahead of the inevitable Saquon Barkley holdout. Barkley and the team were unable to reach an agreement on a long-term contract extension, so the back has now threatened to sit out and is not expected to report for the start of camp. Robinson was released by New England because of injury issues stemming from his torn Achilles’ tendon in 2022. It’s possible Robinson is nothing more than a camp body for the G-Men, though he could earn a roster spot if the coaches prefer him as a backup over Eric Gray or Matt Breida.

Robinson “couldn’t stay on the field” during offseason practices, and the Pats cut bait with him after signing him to a two-year deal in March. Robinson, 24, has been unable to maintain a spot on an NFL roster since tearing his Achilles at the end of the 2021 season. In four games with the Jets last season, he averaged a meager 2.9 yards per carry. Robinson should be able to catch on with another team as a backfield depth signing who has no real path to touches. Like many running backs recovering from an Achilles injury, it could take Robinson several years to get all the way back to form.

In early May, The Athletic’s Chad Graff projected Robinson as the odd-man out on the Pats’ 53-man roster. Unfortunately, he didn’t even make it to training camp. Robinson signed a two-year, $4 million deal with the Patriots this offseason, but after 90 days with the team, his time as a Patriot has come to an end. Robinson has had a difficult time sticking on an NFL roster since tearing his Achilles at the end of the 2021 season. After starting last season with the Jaguars, the team traded him to the Jets for a late-round pick, only for the Jets to release him at the end of the season. Now in search of his fourth team in the last nine months, Robinson will hope to catch on with another squad ahead of training camp. An undrafted rookie free agent who once unseated Leonard Fournette in a training camp battle, Robinson is a far cry from the running back who totaled 1,414 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns as a rookie in 2020. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him sign with another team, but we wouldn’t expect him to offer from a fantasy perspective, even if he did.