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Allen Robinson

Lions Sign Allen Robinson To Active Roster

September 26th, 2024 at 12:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

Allen Robinson made his Lions debut on Sunday, and he is now positioned to remain a regular presence on gamedays. The veteran wideout was signed to the active roster on Thursday, per a team announcement.

Robinson was released by the Steelers early in the 2024 offseason, marking an end to his one-year tenure in Pittsburgh. The 31-year-old then caught on with the Giants, although he was unable to carve out a role in the team’s receiving room. That left him as one of New York’s final roster cuts and threatened to leave him without a deal in time for Week 1. Robinson quickly caught on with the Lions after being released by New York, though.

That move came shortly after Tim Patrick was added on a practice squad agreement. The former Bronco was signed to the active roster earlier this week, and the Lions have now done the same with Robinson. The latter played all 18 regular and postseason games with Pittsburgh last season, but he posted 280 scoreless yards. That production helped inform Robinson’s release, a move he did not see coming. The former Pro Bowler made it clear he did not consider retirement, however, and he is aiming to rebuild his value in the Motor City.

Detroit has Amon-Ra St. Brown atop the WR depth chart, and 2022 first-rounder Jameson Williams has taken on by far the largest workload of his young career this season. Questions were raised about the team’s depth at the position after Josh Reynolds departed in free agency, although a number options are in place for the WR3 gig. Kalif Raymond, Antoine Green, Tre’Quan Smith and Isaiah Williams are also on the active roster as things stand.

Robinson – who does not play on special teams – will aim to carve out a depth role among that group. The former second-rounder topped 1,100 yards three times across his time with the Bears and Jaguars, but expectations for a repeat of that feat are of course absent regarding his Lions tenure. Robinson played a single snap in Week 3, but that figure could rise in the near future.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/21/24

September 21st, 2024 at 5:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor NFL transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Players like Hollman, Vigil, Webb, and Quarterman will now be getting called up for the third time this season. The NFL rules limit a practice squad player to three standard gameday elevations per contract. If their teams want to get them into more games in the future, the normal route is for them to be signed to the active roster after this weekend then released/waived and signed to new practice squad deals, starting their three-game count over.

Shy Tuttle‘s foot injury will keep him off the field for Week 3, as the Panthers announced that the defensive tackle has been downgraded from doubtful to out. The Panthers called up Williams to temporarily take the open roster spot. The defensive end started 10 of his 16 appearances for the Panthers last season, and he landed back on Carolina’s practice squad last month after spending the preseason with the Bills.

The Browns announced a handful of moves ahead of their game with the Giants tomorrow. Notably, the team didn’t promote any offensive tackles, which provided some optimism surrounding the availability of their injured tackles. While Jedrick Wills Jr. is expected to play (per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal), Jack Conklin will not (per Tony Grossi of 850 ESPN Cleveland). Conklin hasn’t played since Week 1 of the 2023 season while recovering from a torn ACL and MCL. He practiced this week and was initially listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game, but it sounds like a new hamstring injury is the culprit for his Week 3 absence.

With both Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce set to miss Sunday’s trip to Minnesota, the Texans are bringing up Taylor off the practice squad. Taylor will back up Cam Akers and Dare Ogunbowale against the Vikings this weekend.

Lions Add Allen Robinson To Practice Squad, Bring Back Donovan Peoples-Jones

August 28th, 2024 at 3:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Lions are adding Donovan Peoples-Jones and Allen Robinson to their practice squad. This represents continuity for Peoples-Jones. For Robinson, it might be a last chance.

The Giants became the second team this year to cut Robinson, releasing him Tuesday. The Steelers moved on from the veteran wide receiver early this offseason. The Lions will be Robinson’s sixth NFL team. Detroit has stocked up on veteran options over the past 24 hours, as these agreements come after Tim Patrick linked up with Dan Campbell‘s team on a P-squad deal.

[RELATED: Offseason In Review: Detroit Lions]

Each of these three veteran options received walking papers Tuesday. The Broncos could not find a Patrick trade partner, and he may have a path to challenging for the Lions’ No. 3 wide receiver role. Denver added the player Detroit wanted for that job, Josh Reynolds, in free agency. Peoples-Jones re-signed with the Lions this offseason, but the 2023 trade pickup did not seize the job during preseason play. Detroit will take what amounts to a flier on Robinson, who has declined considerably since he was last in the NFC North.

A two-time 1,000-yard target with the Bears, Robinson received the franchise tag in 2021. He did not impress on the tag and quickly entered post-prime territory in Los Angeles and Pittsburgh. The Rams had given Robinson a three-year, $46.5MM deal in 2022; he did not finish the season. The Steelers saw the former Jaguars and Bears standout produce 34 catches for 280 yards last season. The big-bodied target, who turned 31 last week, joined the Giants midway through the offseason but could not land a roster spot.

This trio joins veteran receiver/returner Kalif Raymond and UDFA Isaiah Williams as Lions wideouts. Detroit only kept four WRs on its active roster. Patrick, who has recovered from ACL and Achilles tears that took him off the field in 2022 and ’23, is expected to vault to the 53-man unit soon. Robinson and Peoples-Jones, in turn, appear P-squad stashes.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC North

August 28th, 2024 at 2:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Bears, Lions, Packers and Vikings moves are noted below.

Chicago Bears

Signed:

Claimed:

Placed on IR:

Signed to practice squad:

Detroit Lions

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Green Bay Packers

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Minnesota Vikings

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Giants Place Isaiah McKenzie On IR, Move Roster To 53

August 27th, 2024 at 8:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is how the Giants moved down to the 53-man limit today:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on season-ending IR:

Placed on IR/return:

Just as the NFL greenlit a full-on kickoff revamp, McKenzie is out of the picture in New York. Signing with the Giants this year and completing a reunion with ex-Bills staffers Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll, McKenzie has been a return man and slot receiver for seven seasons. This transaction, unlike the Adams designation, will knock the 5-foot-7 cog out for the year. McKenzie only received $75K guaranteed.

McKenzie joins Hodgins among the players not currently in the mix for the team. The Giants received good value from the former waiver claim, who was a Bills teammate of McKenzie’s under Daboll earlier his career. They brought him back after non-tendering him as an RFA in March, and he and Robinson were battling for back-end receiver jobs. The Giants kept Bryce Ford-Wheaton, a 2023 UDFA, over Hodgins. Considering Hodgins’ past with Daboll, it would not surprise to see New York circle back with a potential practice squad invite. Though, the fifth-year veteran might have other options.

Beavers was viewed as a potential inside linebacker starter in 2023, but Micah McFadden ended up beating out the former sixth-round pick. Beavers played in only two games last season. Cager also was considered a contender to be one of the Giants’ receiving tight ends, but the converted wideout fell short. Daniel Bellinger and fourth-round rookie Theo Johnson are leading the way post-Darren Waller.

Giants To Release Allen Robinson, Tre Herndon, Darnay Holmes

August 27th, 2024 at 9:38am CST by Sam Robinson

Allen Robinson‘s bid to make the Giants’ initial 53-man roster will come up short. The Giants are releasing the veteran wideout, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. They are the second team to cut Robinson this year, as the Steelers did the same.

The Giants are also cutting cornerbacks Darnay Holmes and Tre Herndon, according to ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan. Holmes had re-signed with the team this offseason, while Herndon — a six-year Jaguars contributor — joined the team late in its offseason program.

Robinson’s stints with the Jaguars and Bears included a total of three 1,100-yard campaigns and only one season featuring signficant missed time through injury. In recent years, however, he has been unable to find a permanent home. The 31-year-old failed to live up to expectations during a single season with the Rams, leading to his trade to the Steelers. 2023 did not result in a productive campaign (280 scoreless yards on 34 catches), however, and despite a lack of proven receivers Pittsburgh moved on.

Robinson has made it clear he intends to continue his career for several more seasons, but the fact he was unable to land a 53-man roster spot in New York is certainly not an encouraging sign. He will be free to join any interested team on the open market, although without being a special teams contributor the former Pro Bowler’s path to a gig is strictly as a complementary wideout. Robinson’s only guaranteed money from the Giants was a $25K signing bonus.

In the build-up to cutdowns, it was learned New York would likely be a suitor for a cornerback addition. As a result, it comes as no surprise Holmes and Herndon are being let go to clear out space for new options. The former has spent his entire career as a Giant, making 54 appearances and 11 starts (none of which came last season). The latter, meanwhile, has only played in Jacksonville to date but his time in New York has proven to be short-lived.

Deonte Banks is a locked in CB starter for the Giants, but questions remain with respect to who will handle first-team duties opposite him in 2024. A player capable of handling a starter’s workload will likely not be available in the coming days, but a depth move or two should now be expected.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post. 

WR Allen Robinson On Giants Roster Bubble?

July 13th, 2024 at 9:25am CST by Ben Levine

Allen Robinson caught on with the Giants earlier this offseason, with the organization clearly hoping the wideout can bring some experience to a questionable depth chart. However, the 30-year-old isn’t a shoo-in for the team’s initial 53-man roster. In his preview of the Giants’ depth chart, Dan Duggan of The Athletic writes that it’s “hard to see Robinson earning a roster spot.”

[RELATED: Giants WR Allen Robinson: ‘I’ve Got A Couple More Years In Me’]

Despite injuries ruining the end of his Jaguars tenure, the receiver still garnered a three-year, $42MM deal with the Bears in 2018. He underwhelmed during his first season in Chicago but managed to put together back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2019 and 2020, with the wideout averaging 100 catches per year between those two campaigns.

Since then, Robinson’s struggles have been well-chronicled. He hauled in only 410 yards during his final season with the Bears before getting another lucrative three-year contract in 2022, this time from the Rams. He only lasted a season in Los Angeles, finishing with 339 receiving yards. He was promptly dealt to the Steelers last offseason, and to his credit, he started all 17 of his appearances in Pittsburgh. However, his numbers hit a new low, with the 30-year-old finishing with only 34 catches for 280 yards and no touchdowns.

Robinson was cut by the Steelers back in March, but he ended up catching on with the Giants in May. While the veteran brings more experience than many of his new teammates, he still faces an uphill battle to make the squad. First-round rookie Malik Nabers is expected to lead the depth chart, and the team settled their contract stare down with Darius Slayton. With Wan’Dale Robinson, Isaiah Hodgins, Jalin Hyatt, and new addition Isaiah McKenzie also around, Robinson would likely require an injury to earn a bottom-of-the-depth-chart spot.

Duggan suggested that Robinson could end up landing on New York’s practice squad, a move that would require the player’s sign-off. Robinson recently said he’s still got multiple years left in the tank, so it’s uncertain if he’d be willing to settle for a taxi squad role during his age-31 season.

Giants WR Allen Robinson: ‘I’ve Got A Couple More Years In Me’

May 31st, 2024 at 6:06pm CST by Adam La Rose

Allen Robinson will play for his fourth different team in as many years if he manages to make the Giants’ roster in 2024. The veteran receiver acknowledged he was caught off guard by the fact he was a free agent this offseason while adding he has no intention of retiring.

The 30-year-old spent last season with the Steelers, serving as a full-time starter. Robinson’s production (34 catches for 280 scoreless yards) represented a step back from that of past years, though, and Pittsburgh made the unsurprising move of cutting him in March. That led to an unexpected (from Robinson’s perspective) stint in free agency.

“I know for them, they were doing a lot of changes over there, schematic changes, and different things like that,” he said of Pittsburgh (via Michael Elsen of Giants.com). “So, it was a little surprising. But at the end of the day, it’s a part of the business. I’ve been in this thing now going on 11 years.”

The former second-rounder established himself as a high-profile receiver during his time with the Jaguars and Bears, topping 1,000 yards three times in a career known for often featuring sub-par quarterback play. Those stints were followed by one-and-done campaigns with the Rams and Steelers, during which Robinson saw his outuput drop considerably. He will aim to rebound this year as at least a depth contributor for the Giants.

“I knew right away I was playing again,” the Penn State product added. “In my eyes, I know for sure I’ve got a couple more years in me. Last year, kind of stepping into the season, I wasn’t quite 100 percent. I was coming off a foot injury. So, being able to have this offseason to really be healthy and train and do all those things, I knew for sure. There was no doubt for me as far as playing wise.”

New York’s 2024 receiving corps includes Malik Nabers, selected with the sixth overall pick after the team’s Drake Maye trade-up efforts were rebuffed. The Giants also have Darius Slayton back in the fold with an apparent contract resolution having been found. They, along with the likes of Jalin Hyatt, Wan’Dale Robinson and Isaiah McKenzie will play varying roles in New York’s passing game. Robinson could provide a veteran presence to that group while potentially helping his 2025 free agent stock in the process.

WR Rumors: Chiefs, OBJ, Giants, Packers

May 15th, 2024 at 6:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rashee Rice faces eight felony charges in connection with a hit-and-run incident earlier this year; the second-year Chiefs wideout has since been accused of punching a photographer in the face at a nightclub. On top of that, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes teams were aware a previous incident — while Rice was at SMU — ahead of last year’s draft. Believing former SMU basketball player Kendric Davis was seeing his girlfriend, Rice and others attended a Mustangs basketball game. Rice or a member of his party, per intel gathered during the pre-draft process, fired multiple bullets into Davis’ car, which was empty at the time. The Chiefs, who have displayed a rather high tolerance for off-field issues, chose Rice 55th overall in 2023 and saw him fare well during the team’s Super Bowl LVIII-winning season.

The incident at SMU did not produce a police report, Florio adds, but it would factor into any potential punishment Rice receives under the NFL’s personal conduct policy. The Chiefs are bracing for a suspension. While Rice is facing the eight felony charges, he is still viewed as a key part of Kansas City’s offense. The promising wideout attended the first phase of Kansas City’s offseason program virtually.

Here is the latest from the wideout landscape:

  • The Chiefs joined the Cardinals, Titans and Cowboys in meeting with Zay Jones last week. While the recent Jaguars cut ended up signing with the Cardinals, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adds he was also interested in joining the Chiefs. Jones landed a one-year deal worth up to 4.25MM. Rice’s issues are likely spurring the Chiefs on the receiver front, as they have already signed Marquise Brown and traded up in Round 1 for Xavier Worthy. A Rice suspension is not a lock to commence during the 2024 season, but it certainly could. It appears the Chiefs are preparing a contingency plan, though the free agent market is obviously thin at this point.
  • One of the other receivers recently taken off the market, Odell Beckham Jr. joined Jones in signing a one-year deal. The Dolphins closed a lengthy back-and-forth with the veteran target, giving him a $3MM deal. But OBJ could see that figure more than double through incentives. The Dolphins must finish as a top-20 offense to trigger any Beckham escalator, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, but the yardage totals are achievable. Beckham would earn $400K for reaching 566 yards (his 2023 Ravens total), another $800K for 650 and an additional $1MM for 800 yards. Just 36 receptions would produce a $400K payment, with 45 and 55 catches respectively representing the $800K and $1MM triggers on the catch front. Payments of $400K and $450K are respectively in place for four and six touchdowns.
  • Brian Daboll said (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy) the team’s Allen Robinson addition does not have any bearing on the situation with Darius Slayton. The team’s leading receiver in four of the past five seasons, Slayton is staying away from Giants voluntary offseason work in pursuit of an adjusted contract. Slayton’s two-year, $12MM deal does include a fully guaranteed salary ($2.6MM) this year, but the sixth-year pass catcher is aiming for more. Robinson, who is coming off three consecutive down seasons, received the veteran minimum (with just $25K guaranteed) to sign.
  • Alex McGough spent all of last season on the Packers‘ practice squad, re-emerging in the NFL after winning USFL MVP honors in 2023. The Packers are giving the veteran reserve QB an unusual assignment this year. They have moved McGough to receiver, Matt LaFleur said recently (via Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams). McGough worked as a receiver during practice at points last season. The Packers are team No. 5 for the 2018 Seahawks draftee. Green Bay used McGough as its third QB last season. It appears Tulane’s Michael Pratt, a seventh-round pick, has a decent shot to be the passer behind Jordan Love and Sean Clifford this season.

Giants Sign WR Allen Robinson

May 9th, 2024 at 10:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

Another veteran wideout has landed a short-term opportunity with a new team in the wake of the draft. The Giants signed Allen Robinson on Thursday, per a team announcement.

Veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson notes this one-year pact will qualify for the veteran salary benefit. As such, it constitutes a low-cost investment on New York’s part as the team looks to add in the passing game. For Robinson, this deal marks his fifth career team.

The 30-year-old established himself as a dependable target during his Jacksonville and Chicago tenures, stretches often marked by underwhelming quarterback play. Robinson still managed to reach the 1,100-yard mark three times (2015, 2019 and 2020). After playing on the franchise tag during his final Bears campaign, expectations were therefore high when he signed a $46.5MM Rams deal.

Robinson was limited to just 10 games in 2022, however, and he recorded only 339 yards with Los Angeles. As part of the Rams’ financial maneuvering during the subsequent offseason, he was traded to the Steelers. That move set the one-time Pro Bowler up for another starting position in Pittsburgh, though the team’s passing attack understandably leaned heavily on Diontae Johnson and George Pickens. Robinson made 34 scoreless catches in 2023, although he did manage to remain healthy for the full season.

In spite of that availability, it came as little surprise when the Steelers cut Robinson earlier this offseason. Like many other veteran receivers, the Penn State product had a lengthy stay on the open market and needed to wait until after the draft to find a deal. The terms of this agreement demonstrate the limited market Robinson had coming off three straight seasons of underwhelming production. After totaling 200 receptions and 13 touchdowns between 2019-20, he has recorded only a 105-1,029-4 statline since then.

The Giants did extensive work on the top quarterbacks in this year’s draft, and the team submitted an offer to move up to No. 3 in the order to select Drake Maye. In the end, New York retained the sixth selection and used it on Malik Nabers. The LSU speedster will be tasked with helping the team rebound from a forgettable showing on offense endured in 2023. A number of incumbents are also in the fold, although the contractual future of Darius Slayton remains uncertain at this point.

Robinson will aim to earn a roster spot during training camp on a New York offense featuring short- and long-term questions under center. A strong outing in 2024 would help his market value while providing either Daniel Jones or Drew Lock with an experienced pass-catching option along the way.

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