Demarcus Robinson

Rams To Re-Sign WR Demarcus Robinson

FEBRUARY 24: Providing further details on the pact, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes Robinson will receive $4MM in base compensation including a $1.5MM signing bonus. The other $1MM is comprised of incentives; Robinson can earn up to $500K with an offensive snap share of 50% or higher (after seeing a 36% usage rate in 2023), and another $500K is tied to the Rams’ ability to improve on their total offensive ranking or to repeat their playoff appearance. Regardless of how the incentives play out, the agreement will be a comfortable raise.

FEBRUARY 23: Becoming a key auxiliary pass catcher for the Rams, Demarcus Robinson will once again have the opportunity to stay with a club on a second contract. The former Chiefs supporting-caster reached a deal to stay with the Rams on Friday.

Robinson has agreed to terms to stay in Los Angeles on a one-year, $5MM deal, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Becoming a regular in a passing attack that featured the rapid rise of Puka Nacua, Robinson will be in line to work with the blossoming young talent and Cooper Kupp again in 2024. This marks a big raise for Robinson, who played for just $1.17MM in 2023.

Not a part of L.A.’s offense during the season’s first half, Robinson belatedly came through to help the team back to the playoffs. The former Chiefs draftee did not catch a pass as a Ram until Week 9. He did not top 40 yards in a game until Week 13. But Robinson delivered five straight such 40-plus-yard showings — including 82- and 92-yard outings against the Saints and Giants, respectively — from Weeks 13-17, helping the Rams clinch a playoff spot.

Overall, Robinson finished with 26 receptions for 371 yards and four touchdowns. He caught a touchdown pass in four straight games, developing a rapport with Matthew Stafford. Robinson effectively displaced Tutu Atwell, a former second-round pick who was given an extended look during the season’s first half. During Robinson’s five-game run as the Rams’ top tertiary target, Atwell (39-483-3) caught just one pass and played only a handful of offensive snaps.

Atwell’s rookie deal runs through 2024, and while the diminutive wideout has not made much of an impact with the Rams yet, the team now has its top four wideouts from 2023 locked in for the ’24 slate. This marks a nice development for Robinson, who did not catch on with the team until June of last year.

Robinson, 29, is best known for his work alongside Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill in Kansas City. The Florida alum topped 400 receiving yards in 2019 and ’20, helping the Chiefs to back-to-back Super Bowls. Robinson, who re-signed with the Chiefs on two one-year deals following the expiration of his rookie contract, caught 14 touchdown passes during Patrick Mahomes‘ first four years as the team’s starter. The Ravens signed the 6-foot-1 receiver in 2022; as part of an injury-battered receiving corps, Robinson caught a career-high 48 passes for 458 yards and two scores with Baltimore.

The former fourth-round pick will have a chance to play a ninth season. With Robinson back in the fold, it does not seem like the Rams — who traded Van Jefferson early last season — will be too active at receiver this offseason.

Rams To Sign WR Demarcus Robinson

The Rams had made a recent habit of taking swings on wide receivers in recent offseasons. From the Brandin Cooks trade to the second-round picks of Van Jefferson and Tutu Atwell to the Allen Robinson signing, Los Angeles has continually made big moves to staff this position. Not so much this year.

Amid the cost-cutting decisions the Rams have made this offseason, they will still circle back to an auxiliary option for their Cooper Kupp-led receiving corps. Demarcus Robinson intends to sign with the team, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Being a role player in the Chiefs’ Alex Smith– and Patrick Mahomes-quarterbacked offenses, Robinson left Kansas City for Baltimore in 2022. After a 48-catch season, the 28-year-old wideout will join the likes of Jefferson, Atwell, Ben Skowronek and Lance McCutcheon as Kupp supporting-casters.

A former fourth-round pick out of Florida, Robinson spent six seasons in Kansas City. He signed two one-year deals with the Chiefs after his rookie contract expired and caught on with the Raiders in March of last year. But Las Vegas cut the veteran target, leading him to Baltimore just before last season. As the Ravens lost both Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay to foot injuries, the team turned to Robinson as one of its top receiving options as it cinched up a playoff berth without Lamar Jackson. While consistency eluded Robinson, he finished with 458 receiving yards and two touchdowns during his Ravens campaign. He added 49 and a score in Baltimore’s narrow playoff loss to Cincinnati.

Last season effectively proved Robinson could produce outside of Andy Reid‘s system, though he was sporadically effective as one of Tyreek Hill‘s wingmen in K.C. Robinson surpassed 400 receiving yards during the Chiefs’ 2019 and ’20 seasons, each ending in Super Bowl berths, though he was never especially close to being a prime option for Mahomes. While the Chiefs had that territory covered, Robinson’s Ravens season proves more interesting due to the lack of talent and depth Baltimore carried at the position last year.

The Rams ate some of Robinson’s salary to move his contract to the Steelers, and they have not seen much from Atwell yet. Jefferson is positioned as Los Angeles’ top Kupp complement, though the team did draft Puka Nacua (BYU) in Round 5 this year.

Ravens Rumors: Oliver, Robinson, Mayfield

As the Ravens face the offseason, the biggest free agency question on everyone’s mind is clearly what will happen with star quarterback Lamar Jackson. While everyone is focused on that, general manager Eric DeCosta and company have plenty of other free agents to deal with, as detailed recently by Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.

One of the more intriguing free agents Baltimore must handle is tight end Josh Oliver. Acquired for a modest price from the Jaguars two years ago, Oliver was brought in to serve as a number three tight end behind receiving specialist Mark Andrews and blocking specialist Nick Boyle. Injuries to Boyle forced Oliver into a much larger role and over the past two seasons, Oliver has filled in and continued to improve.

At first glance, it seems like an easy decision for Baltimore to allow Oliver to walk as, despite waiving Boyle, the Ravens still have Andrews and two second-year tight ends in Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar behind him. Oliver may have carved out his role on the offense last year, though, playing in Boyle’s stead. While Andrews is a formidable blocker, Likely and Kolar were both elite receiving options in college. Oliver’s biggest impact and improvements this past season were in the running game as a blocker. At only 25 years old, it may make sense for him to find space on the roster of a team that has never shied away from its love of tight ends.

Here are a couple other free agent rumors out of Charm City:

  • Another question that Zrebiec poses in Baltimore surrounds free agent wide receiver Demarcus Robinson. Robinson was an under-the-radar signing late in the preseason for the Ravens, but he likely gave the offense more than they expected out of him. After catching a career-high 48 passes for 458 yards and two touchdowns, Robinson has appeared to have interest in returning to Baltimore. The Ravens are likely looking to upgrade their receivers room in every way possible, though, and currently, it’s unclear where Robinson fits. Robinson likely benefitted from the missed snaps of Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay, both of whom found their way to injured reserve last year. If the team can add a few weapons and get a healthy Bateman and Duvernay, will they decide to bring back Robinson, as well?
  • One position that definitely makes sense for the Ravens to upgrade in free agency is backup quarterback. In a more recent breakdown, Zrebiec discussed why it would be important to sign an established backup. The past two seasons in Baltimore have ended with Jackson on the sideline dealing with injury. In the 12 games that Jackson has either sat out or left with injury in the last two years, the Ravens are 4-8, not including their lone playoff loss without Jackson. Teams like the 49ers and Cowboys displayed this year the value of having backup quarterbacks capable of winning games. Pushed into play due to injury, backup quarterbacks Cooper Rush, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Brock Purdy went a combined 16-4 in their regular season starts. While Rush is available, as are other options like Sam Darnold, Jacoby Brissett, and Andy Dalton, Baker Mayfield may make the most sense. Mayfield is an affordable option after flaming out a bit in Cleveland and Carolina, but he showed he still has the ability to compete in the waning games of the season with the Rams. He’s fairly young, having been drafted the same year as Jackson, while still experienced, and he specifically has experience in the AFC North. Mayfield also has a formidable talent for running the ball that wouldn’t require new offensive coordinator Todd Monken to switch things up too much when he’s in. Whether or not the former division rival is the answer, it’s become clear that backups Tyler Huntley and Anthony Brown can’t carry the team when Jackson is absent.

Ravens Notes: Dobbins, Jones, OLBs

Earlier this month, the Ravens got their top RB back on the practice field when they activated J.K. Dobbins. It was a welcomed sign for the team, after the former second-rounder missed the entire 2021 season with a torn ACL.

Dobbins is still not a lock to suit up in Week 1 as he continues to recover from the injury, however. As a result, he “won’t get a full workload” immediately upon his return, notes ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. The Ohio State product took over the lead role midway through his rookie season, averaging six yards per carry and scoring nine total touchdowns. Those figures led to major expectations last season, but his year-long absence (along with that of backup Gus Edwards, who will also miss at least the first month of the 2022 season) dealt a major blow to Baltimore’s run game.

The Ravens, unsurprisingly, will ease Dobbins back into lead-back duties. Given that, and Edwards’ ongoing recovery, the team will turn to a combination of veteran signing Mike Davis and, in all likelihood, sixth-round rookie Tyler Badie in support roles in the backfield.

Here are some other notes from Charm City:

  • Dobbins isn’t the only promising young player whose health status the team is watching carefully. Rookie defensive lineman Travis Jones is dealing with a sprained knee which should keep him sidelined for three to five weeks, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The third-rounder had an impressive training camp and preseason, and will be in line for at least a rotational role right way. The chances of his debut coming in Week 1 are greatly lessened by this news, though, so the Ravens will lean more heavily on starter Michael Pierce in the middle of the d-line.
  • The Ravens have been named as a potential landing spot for a veteran edge signing throughout the offseason, given the team’s relative lack of moves at the position. Especially considering the fact that projected starter Tyus Bowser was placed on the reserve/PUP list last week (guaranteeing that he will miss the first four weeks of the season), the team is thin at the position until he and/or second-round rookie David Ojabo recover from their respective Achilles tears. As such, a pass rush addition of some kind should be expected, per Jeff Zrebiec of the Athletic (subscription required). Jason Pierre-Paul, who visited the team earlier this offseason, tops the list of remaining free agents; plenty of other names are due to become available as well during final roster cuts.
  • In that same piece, Zrebiec also notes that wideout Demarcus Robinson‘s deal, signed last week, includes nearly $900K in guaranteed money. That should help ensure he remains on the roster, something he wasn’t able to do with the Raiders. The veteran had four catches for 135 yards and a touchdown during the team’s preseason finale, and figures to play a notable role in their receiver rotation.
  • Safety Tony Jefferson could find himself on the roster bubble tomorrow, but not for a lack of effort to return to his previous form. The 30-year-old suffered a knee injury in 2019 which cost him his starting spot; he underwent a total of four surgeries to repair the damage, Zrebiec details. Jefferson understandably considered retirement during the process, but has now recovered to the point where he came back to Baltimore last season and could carve out a role on the 2022 squad as well.

Ravens Sign WR Demarcus Robinson

TODAY, 6:05pm: Robinson has officially signed his contract with the Ravens, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter). It’s a one-year deal for the receiver worth $1.035MM, including $895K in guaranteed money. This is a significant bump on the $320K guarantee Robinson got from the Raiders, who ended up releasing him last week.

August 19, 3:35pm: Demarcus Robinson‘s stay on the open market appears to have been very short-lived. The veteran wideout met with the Ravens earlier today, and is expected to sign with them, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). 

Robinson signed with the Raiders in March, remaining in the AFC West after playing in Kansas City for the first six years of his career. Over that time, he saw a regular role in the team’s passing game (with the exception of his rookie season), seeing the field for between 40% and 70% of offensive snaps.

His most productive campaign came in 2020, when he hauled in 45 catches for 466 yards and three touchdowns. That contrasted with quieter seasons like 2021, though, which resulted in just 264 receiving yards. Nevertheless, the Florida alum was expected to somewhat comfortably make Las Vegas’ roster as a secondary piece to the team’s passing attack. Instead, he was among the Raiders’ first round of cuts earlier this week.

In Baltimore, Robinson will provide a veteran presence to one of the least experienced receiver rooms in the league. Baltimore has long been considered a landing spot for at least one veteran wideout, after the team lost Marquise Brown, Sammy Watkins and Miles Boykin this offseason and declined to draft any replacements. 2021 first-rounder Rashod Bateman is set to take on the No. 1 role, but the rest of the depth chart consists of unproven recent draftees Devin Duvernay, James Proche and Tylan Wallace – the latter two of whom are currently dealing with injuries.

Robinson should therefore have a relatively clear path to a roster spot and a rotational role with the Ravens. He might not start on a full-time basis, but he should provide the team with insurance behind Duvernay and Proche in particular. The Ravens entered the day with just under $9.5MM in cap space, leaving plenty of room for an addition such as this one. Given Robinson’s recent release, the deal likely won’t eat too much into that total, but it could prove to be worthwhile in filling a widely-perceived roster hole on a potential AFC contender.

Raiders Cut DT Vernon Butler, WR Demarcus Robinson

The Raiders released a pair of veterans today. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), the Raiders cut defensive tackle Vernon Butler and wide receiver Demarcus Robinson.

After coming off the bench for the first 38 games of his career, it looked like Butler may have been evolving into a starter after collecting six sacks in nine starts for the Panthers in 2019. That performance earned the former first-round pick a two-year contract from the Bills, but he never saw more than a situational role during his time in Buffalo, collecting 29 tackles and zero sacks in 24 games.

Butler was one of six defensive tackles/nose tackles to join the Raiders this offseason (including draft picks). It sounds like the 28-year-old didn’t show enough to beat out the likes of Johnathan Hankins, Andrew Billings, Bilal Nichols, and Kyle Peko.

Robinson also joined the Raiders this offseason after having spent the first six seasons of his career with the Chiefs. The wideout hauled in 14 touchdowns between 2018 and 2021, and he had two seasons where he topped 400 receiving yards. Most recently, Robinson caught 25 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns before adding another four receptions in the postseason.

In Las Vegas, the 27-year-old was expected to compete for the WR3 spot behind Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow, but it sounds like the Raiders are comfortable rolling with either Mack Hollins or Keelan Cole in that role.

Raiders Rumors: Offensive Line, WRs, Jacobs

We recently wrote about the unlikelihood that any rookies will be starting for the Raiders to start the 2022 NFL season. The player we gave the best odds of earning a starting role is maybe even better set up for taking the job than we thought, according to Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed at The Athletic. The two reported that, besides left tackle Kolton Miller and right guard Denzelle Good, the other three offensive line jobs are up for grabs.

We had given Andre James the assumption of starting at center after a successful season at the position last year. We also didn’t grant Good an automatic spot as he is recovering from a torn ACL that held him out for all but 18 snaps of last season. But Tafur and Reed assert that rookie third-round pick Dylan Parham “could push John Simpson at left guard and (James) at center.”

They also believe that Alex Leatherwood doesn’t quite have the right tackle job in the bag. He’s being pushed by Brandon Parker, who started 13 games at the position last year, while Leatherwood occupied a guard spot.

Here are a few more rumors from Sin City:

  • The addition of star wide receiver Davante Adams provides an obvious No. 1 weapon for quarterback Derek Carr. Carr will have Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller to target in the slot and at tight end, respectively, but who will be out wide opposite Adams? That role will be a battle between free agent additions Mack Hollins, Keelan Cole, and Demarcus Robinson. According to Tafur and Reed, the former Dolphins wide receiver, Hollins, should be considered the favorite. Though he hasn’t quite shown the necessary production (his best season came last year with 14 catches for 223 yards and 4 touchdowns), Hollins has a large, 6’4″ frame and speed that can make him an effective weapon while defenses focus on Adams, Waller, and Renfrow. Cole has shown more consistent production during tenures in Jacksonville and New York, as has Robinson in Kansas City, but neither quite has the physical tools that Hollins displays. If Hollins can take the next step and make the most of his abilities, Cole and Robinson can be strong assets off the bench behind a starting three of Adams, Renfrow, and Hollins.
  • Las Vegas didn’t pick up the fifth-year option on running back Josh Jacobs rookie contract this offseason as a result of some of the injury trouble he’s experienced in the NFL. In total, Jacobs has only missed six games throughout his three years of play, but his struggle to stay healthy has limited him in many other games. Due to health, Tafur and Reed see this as Jacobs’ last year on the team. Their opinion is also backed by the draft addition of Georgia running back Zamir White, once considered the top recruit at his position in high school. While the team won’t put too much on White as a rookie, The Athletic guesses that the Raiders will utilize a running back by committee approach. Vegas will lean on Jacobs to lead, as the most talented, while attempting to bring White along and up to NFL-speed. Career third-down back Brandon Bolden and backup Kenyan Drake will continue their usual roles as the Raiders allegedly groom White to start.

Raiders Sign WR Demarcus Robinson

Demarcus Robinson has found a new home. The former Chiefs receiver is signing with the Raiders, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).

The wideout is inking a one-year deal with Las Vegas, per Schefter. We heard earlier today that Robinson was set to meet with the Raiders.

The 27-year-old wideout had spent his entire six-year career in Kansas City. He started 42 of 97 games during that span, including a 2020 campaign where he operated as a secondary piece in the Chiefs offense and finished with 45 catches for 466 yards and three touchdowns. However, the veteran has also had seasons like 2021, when he had a reduced role on offense and finished with only 264 receiving yards.

The writing seemed to be on the wall for Robinson’s future in Kansas City when the Chiefs added JuJu Smith-Schuster to a depth chart that already included Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman (not to mention Travis Kelce).

So, the receiver is off to Las Vegas. Robinson is the second post-worthy addition to the Raiders’ WR room this offseason. Having already traded for Davante Adams, the team also has reliable slot man Hunter Renfrow and tight end Darren Waller in the fold. Just like in Kansas City, Robinson will likely continue to rank third or fourth in terms of targets, although he should have a firm grasp of that spot on the depth chart.

Demarcus Robinson To Visit Raiders

After the Chiefs added a new receiver in JuJu Smith-Schuster, they may be close to losing another. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (on Twitter) that Demarcus Robinson is meeting with the Raiders. 

[RELATED: Raiders Acquire Adams From Packers]

Robinson, 27, has spent his entire six-year career in Kansas City. He started 42 of 97 games during that span, as his playing time fluctuated over the years. After reaching a peak snap percentage of 70% in 2019, his playing time has dropped for two straight years. The former fourth rounder has yet to miss a game in his NFL career.

Robinson’s best statistical season came in 2020. He posted 45 catches for 466 yards and three touchdowns in that campaign, operating as always as a secondary piece in the Chiefs’ passing offense. Overshadowed by Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill, he has been in competition with the likes of Mecole Hardman for targets, but averaged just over 45 per season in the five years in which he has been involved in the offense.

If he were to land in Vegas, Robinson would of course mark the second significant addition to the Raiders’ WR room. Having already traded for Davante Adams, the team also has reliable slot man Hunter Renfrow and tight end Darren Waller in the fold. Robinson would therefore likely continue to rank third or fourth in terms of targets amongst pass catchers. Much of his role in Kansas City, meanwhile, would go to the more accomplished Smith-Schuster.

Chiefs Re-Sign Demarcus Robinson

The Chiefs have re-signed Demarcus Robinson, according to his agent (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The wide receiver will return to Kansas City on a one-year deal. Financial terms of the deal are not yet known. Last time around, Robinson re-signed with the Chiefs for fully guaranteed $2.297MM that counted for just $1MM against the cap, per the veteran salary benefit.

Splitting WR3 duties with Mecole Hardman, Robinson finished the regular season with 45 grabs for 466 yards and three touchdowns. Now, he seems primed for a larger role with Sammy Watkins exploring other opportunities in free agency. His return gives the Chiefs a core group headlined by Tyreek Hill, Robinson, Hardman, and Byron Pringle.

The Chiefs did lots of shopping before circling back to Robinson. Just last week, they submitted the highest bid for JuJu Smith-Schuster, who ultimately re-signed with the Steelers for less money. T.Y. Hilton and Josh Reynolds were also among the names on their radar.