AUGUST 18: A mutual decision between team and player has been made for Robinson not to suit up for tonight’s preseason contest, as first reported by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. That represents a clear sign a trade is on tap with the Commanders looking to ensure an injury does not occur. This situation remains one to watch closely.
AUGUST 17: The Commanders are open to trading running back Brian Robinson, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
Robinson, 26, is entering the final year of his rookie contract. He was a consistent but unspectacular ballcarrier in his first three seasons, recording between 700 and 800 rushing yards in each of the last three seasons with 20 total touchdowns. In 2024, Robinson put up career-highs in 2024 as a rusher (799 yards, eight touchdowns), but veteran signing Austin Ekeler ate into his passing-down snap share.
Robinson is currently listed as the Commanders’ starting running back on the team’s unofficial depth chart, so their willingness to trade him suggests a few things. First, with Robinson entering a contract year, he may be seeking an extension without mutual interest from Washington’s front office. Two running backs from his draft class – James Cook and Kyren Williams – recently signed second contracts with the teams that drafted them. Cook, who statistically outpaces Robinson by a significant margin, received $11.5MM per year with $30MM in total guarantees.
Williams is more comparable and signed for $11MM per year with $23MM in total guarantees. As a result, Robinson could be seeking upwards of $10MM per year and $20MM in guaranteed money. The Commanders could have concerns about his pedestrian rushing efficiency (4.1 career yards per carry) and may want to recoup some value in a trade rather than meeting his demands.
Placing Robinson on the trade block also indicates that the Commanders are confident in the other running backs on their roster. Ekeler, Chris Rodriguez, and Jeremy McNichols were all more efficient than Robinson last year, albeit on smaller sample sizes. Preseason hype has also been building around seventh-rounder Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who could make the 53-man roster and compete for a role in the backfield.
However, a trade seems unlikely to come together this close to the regular season. The Commanders could re-bait the hook closer to the trade deadline, by which time injuries could increase teams’ need for backfield depth.
Uhmmm WHAT?!?
800 yards as the Starting RB who averaged 4.3 yards a carry?
Those are fine but not amazing numbers?
“Pedestrian rushing efficiency” was a nice, understated play on words by Nikhil.
You don’t want your lead RB fumbling every 79 touches. They should get rid of Ekeler too because his ball security is even worse.
So they take one step forward last season and now, between Terry and Brian, want to take three steps backwards?
wow
It will probably be a good thing long term for them. Daniels is just getting started.
That’s really not a smart way to build a team.
Maybe, maybe not, but if Daniels is just getting started, it seems that you’d want have consistency and talent around him and not the opposite.
This isn’t going anywhere fast. There are comparable RB’s out of work right now with more to come in a week. Who is going to trade for something you can get for free?
Just say you don’t follow the team. LOL JCM is an upgrade over B Rob. Plus Chris Rodriguez showed that he is very serviceable when given an opportunity and can replace B Rob on short distance. Plus they added Samuels in the off season to help get attention off of Terry. Plus upgraded the offensive line. What do you mean taking steps backwards?
“Just say you don’t follow the team. LOL JCM is an upgrade over B Rob.”
JCM is a 7th round pick with zero NFL carries and you’re already annoiting him as an upgrade over Robinson? Seems optimistic.
Accusing me of not following the team in the same breath as bringing up Deebo taking attention off of Terry?
..: the same Terry the team doesn’t want to pay and has requested a trade?
Trading Robinson with Terry wanting out leaves them with Deebo; not 2021 Deebo … 2025 Deebo
Rodriguez hasn’t proven a thing
JCM hasn’t taken a snap
Meanwhile Daniels got into his grove with both Robinson & Terry on the field … and they’ve upgraded the OL … but now that he has better protection he may not have the weapons that got them into the playoffs last season?
Why, exactly, would “follow the team” be a requisite for recognizing Idiocracy?
Again… Say you don’t follow the team. Terry will play with the team this fall. He has no leverage so he has to play. Plus he doesn’t want to hurt his chance to be paid in 2026. So long as Deebo is healthy, he will take the attention off Terry. If you watch a little bit of the game last night you saw that Deebo isn’t fat and overweight as a lot people tried to speculate. Plus you saw what Rodriguez and JCM can do. So yes, following the team is a requisite because your questions would already been answered.
He’s a mid RB. When the old regime drafted him, they had delusions of gradneur for him to be one of those bell cow backs, which is what led Gibson out of town. He’s been slightly above JAG. If you don’t see him in your long term plans, makes sense to see what you can get for him at this high point for his value. He’s never going to bea 1200 yard back, but he can be a good piece in an RBC like the Detroit setup with a more explosive player in front of him.
JAG is a completely meaningless term. Almost as meaningless as mid.
The guy is a bellcow. He’s not on the level of guys on the top tier but in the right situation he’s absolutely a 1,000 yard guy. I agree he should platoon with a more explosive back but that doesn’t make him mid.
This guy is not a bellcow. He’s def a 1,000 yard guy on a bad team, but for a team who’s trying to build a sustainable winner, he’s someone you can get an upgrade on in the draft. He’s pretty mid, he’s not even a top 20 back in the league.
The draft was months ago, though. If they didn’t like Robinson, why not deal him then? This wasn’t the best year to deal a veteran back with all of the draft options, granted, but there hasn’t been a major change in Robinson’s status since the end of last year. It’s not like he’s suddenly on his final season of the rookie deal now.
I suppose one of the new guys has impressed them sufficiently, but that seems like a quick decision to make based on practice and a few preseason games for your second year QB…
I think they like Chris Rodriguez a lot, which I have to agree with. He isn’t a true bellcow like Robinson but he definitely is a guy who can be a great #2 back. I think with Daniels they feel they don’t need a guy like Robinson and can just have Rodriguez and Ekeler to platoon.
He is on his last year of his rookie deal. I think they got a look at the rest of the room and think he’s expendable for what he brings to the table.
I love how few people seem to understand how difficult it actually is to draft a guy of Robinson’s caliber after the second round.
You can claim he isn’t a bellcow all you want but yeah he is. He’s in the David Montgomery mold. He’d be a starting RB and 1,000 yard guy on plenty of teams.
Saying mid makes you look like you don’t know football.
Dude, he’s an average back. I get you’re a fan, but please stop with this hyperbole. People draft mid round backs who outproduce him all the time, so I have no idea what you’re talking about. His high point is 600 to 800 yards on 170 to 200 carries. That’s nothing special.
You talk nonsense.
So many of you talk about value all day long yet don’t even understand how difficult it is to draft a guy of his value after the second round most years.
He is a starting RB no matter how many times you shout otherwise. There’s no such thing as nothing special in the specialized game of football where everybody has roles, and if there is it certainly doesn’t describe a versatile starting RB who can easily have 100+ rushing yard games and average 4+ ypc and be an effective receiver out of the backfield. When looking for a RB, you look for whether or not he can block, his vision and patience, his ability to run hard, and his burst/quickness. Having hands as a receiver is icing on the cake. And you think that’s mid. Clueless.
You not liking him doesn’t equal a analysis, nor does relying on stats. You speak nonsense.
I disagree. With a good scouting department you can find good serviceable running backs after the second round. Some Examples: James Conner (3rd Round), Alvin Kamara (3rd Round), Arian Foster (Undrafted), L Blount (Undrafted), Pierre Thomas (Undrafted), Alfred Morris (Round 6), Terrell Davis (Round 6), Priest Holmes (Undrafted), Aaron Jones (Round 5). So it is possible. Sometimes it can be the offensive line that can help or hold you back. Robinson didn’t have a problem in Alabama because most of the time that Alabama O-Line is better than whoever they match up against. Just because someone doesn’t agree with you doesn’t mean they don’t know football.
It’s not even hard to find examples. It’s why it’s the most expendable position in the league.
I say trade him to Patriots for Stevenson and give up a sixth. Good business
They’re basically the same guy production wise except Stevenson has a fumbling problem. I think they’d want a pick. The question is who did they draft this year that they think can take over his role? I didn’t follow it that closely.
Robinson is way better than Stevenson, and I say this as somebody who likes Stevenson.
I mean they have the exact same stats, and I think most people would say Washington’s line was better than the Patriots the last couple of years. The Patriots had one of the worst lines in football last year. You can use gut feelings or your vibes or whatever you want to use, but they’re the same player in the league over quite a number of snaps. Robinson’s just been in the league one year less. i think that’s one of the reasons Washington wants to move him. He has never become what the old regime envisioned of one of the top backs in the league. He’s a good player who is interchangeable in the league production wise.
Lol gut feelings and vibes? Try game tape. Funny how that seems to always be missing.
Stevenson does not have Robinson’s burst or versatility. He’s in the Blount type mold of a guy who can move when he gets going whereas Robinson Jr is way more like David Montgomery. He’s got burst and power.
Calling players interchangeable is nonsensical and shows somebody doesn’t know the game beyond the stats.
Okay, you’re talking about traits. At the end of the day, yards per cary, yards per game, yards per play along with pass protection, and yes, I’ve watched both of them. They’re obviously different players, so I have no idea why you’re bringing that up, but you’re talking like you’re getting a much better player trading one for the other when their stats are interchangeable. This isn’t the draft guide. This is what they’ve both done in roughly a thousand snaps in the league. They’re both middle of the road RBs who need to be in concert with someone more explosive than them because they’ll never be that guy. Both had 800 yards last year and were within one TD of each other, and they’ve been roughly that the years they’ve been in the league. They are what they are.
Lol. Na.
That’s what matters to YOU and people who rely on stats.
Stevenson has a terrible contract too
The Patriots made the mistake Washington is trying to avoid. Belichick re-signed him thinking he was going to take another step, but he didn’t, and then he started fumbling all over the place to compound things.
Thought he was pretty good in Playoffs versus the Buccaneers
Trading your current starter and future back because you don’t want to pay him?
I’d LOVE to sign with this organization!
Perfect example of why going by stats is meaningless.
Robinson is a beast. His numbers are low due to injury and lack of use or a good offensive line prior to last year.
Calling him pedestrian shows an absolute lack of football knowledge.
What should people go by for a running back of all positions then? Lol. I think pedestrian is a bit much as a descriptor, but he’s not a bell cow back.
Watching him play rather than using lazy and nonsensical generalizations.
I have. I’ve probably seen more of him than you since I follow some of these kids since high school. This your nephew or something?
More hyperbole because you have nothing to go by but stats.
No, just calling you on your BS thinking everyone doesn’t watch games. I agree with you that a lot of people parrot whatever someone tells them, but that is not I and certainly not in this case. He’s a tough runner. He’s a good player. However, he’s just an above average RB in the league. It’s not just Washington. He was that in college too. Like I said, some of us have been watching these players a long time and know what we’re talking about.
What’s his value? Hopefully the commanders can get a 6th for him. Unlikely though with how great this rb crop is.
Maybe get a reciever in a player swap?
Yeah I could see that. They won’t get any kind of high pick but maybe a mid round pick or a player on the last year of a rookie deal at another position.
The guy is younger than McNichols and has scored 17 TDs the last two years. Why disrupt a trending upward team? If his numbers get closer to 4.5 yrds a carry and 10-13 TDs this year then worry about the cost.
They definitely won’t extend him but I agree trading him would be really dumb.
I think they think they can replace him with Rodriguez, and well he’s looked really good himself when given chances.
Still, they’re coming off an NFC Championship appearance. They should be building on that.
Good game against Detroit in the playoffs as well with two TDs. Not bad for a guy set to make, what 3.5 million this year? Yes, Rodriguez has looked good but only two TDs last year. I get where management is coming from but they also are thinking cheap with McClaurin as well who was second in the league with 16 TDs counting postseason, and finally has a QB with upside.
Yeah, Robinson might not be a top five back in the league, but why risk it? Daniels had a good year, but trying to rid the offense of consistency is only going to impede his further progress. Let him at least get settled in with a couple of years under his belt before you start putting the offense on his back.
Crazy they’re thinking about possibly cutting him. If they felt this way last year, would imagine they could’ve gotten at least what SF got for Mason in the offseason. Ekeler is a good vet, but he was banged up last year and didnt look good his last season in LAC. CRod had his moments when he got an opportunity and is a hard runner, but he is not a big play threat or receiver imo. JCM very well could be good, but he bascially didnt play at all last year and is already dealing with a shoulder injury himself. Not sure why they’d take this public now, unless something wild is going on behind the scenes. Guy comes back from 2 gun shot wounds (TOO HIS LEG) his rookie year to put up 800+ total yards. He has done well behind a bad oline, with poor QB play up until last year, and they want to move on to save $3M? Why not cut or trade Ekeler? Little bit more of a dead cap hit with him, but save the same $3.5M. BRob is easily better (and younger) than any current FA RB imo, so he shouldn’t be out of work for long. From what I have seen best remaining FA RBs available are Jamaal W, Gus Edwards, or D’Onta Foreman. Of course, that will change in a couple weeks, but he still has a 99% chance at being the best option available after cuts imo
He’s going to need a different giant hat for his new team.
Best landing spots:
Patriots
Texans
Vikings
49ers
Browns
The Browns is the only one on your list that might make sense. He’s a downhill runner who needs to be in a power gap scheme. The 49ers and Vikings don’t run that, and the Patriots already have the same player in Stevenson.
They all make sense. Especially with Mixon out and Chubb sharing workload. Niners have injuries too and he’s a change of pace runner doesn’t have to be RB1 at all
I don’t think you’d get that production in those schemes though.
As a RB2?
That makes it even worse because he’s a guy who gets going the more touches he gets, but I just think he fits better in a downhill gap scheme.
The Texans have a ton of backs, and I don’t think they’ll find snaps for Robinson with Chubb in particular in the mix. The Pats have a similar (but a bit worse, in my opinion) option in Stevenson, but they could make it work with a 1 and 1a type exchange. Cleveland fit, but he’d probably be a placeholder there as the offense turns over. I don’t think that much is permanent for them right now, at least until the quarterback gets sorted out.
If we look at Robinson as a complementary back, many more options open up here. Most teams in the league could use him as a 2 or 1A. The NFC South, I think, has a few good spots. There are a bunch of places that could use Robinson as an inside runner. I think he’s best, though, when he accumulates carries, and there aren’t an extreme number of teams that will install him as their number one volume back right now.
The only teams I don’t think could fully utilize him are the zone run heavy teams, like San Fran or Miami. Could Robinson be good? Sure, of course, he has good size and talent. Do I think it’s his best fit? No, not really, but that’s just my opinion.
John Lynch better be all over this
Said same thing. Him or the Vikings
Seems odd that Washington finally finds a QB, then doesn’t want to resign the players that make his life easier.
I’d throw out a late round pick to see if Washington bites, if I were most teams. I think he’s more valuable than that but why not check and see if you can buy low on a running back who has put up just around 1000 yards each of the past 3 seasons, his contract is almost up – no commitment
I kno it’s the Bengal terrible defense, but you’re seeing tonight why they might think they don’t need Robinson anymore.
If he somehow ends up getting cut because they can’t find a trade partner, he could instantly become the Cowboys best running back. I know I would definitely take him over Javonte Williams, and probably Miles Sanders.
Could see CIN, CHI, DAL, HOU, MIA, PIT, SF, and TEN if he is cut.
Good insurance for CIN (I do like brooks), CHI, MIA (I like wright too), & TEN (spears keeps getting banged up)
HOU I am not sure how long Mixon is going to be out, or how well Chubb is looking
SF I wouldn’t want to go to if I were him, but could work if CMC is out again
Could be best option in DAL or PIT when looking at current depth chart imo.