Many people gave the Jags the eye roll when they released Leonard Fournette. It was a questionable move at the time, but Jacksonville felt comfortable with the guys they had; if fans have learned anything from the first two weeks of the season from the Jaguars, its that James Robinson runs the show until further notice.
Is James Robinson the running back of the future for the Jaguars? It sure looks like it. Robinson was a player that stood at the East-West Game. He didn’t have blazing speed but had some attractive potential as a bruiser. Jacksonville took Robinson in as an undrafted free agent, a move that is paying huge dividends.
Maybe Robinson is a player we should have paid attention to more. It’s easy to fly under the radar at a place like Illinois State. However, Robinson was still putting up video game numbers in college. Robinson finished his collegiate career with 4,444 rushing yards and 44 touchdowns. Robinson was one of the best players in the country at the FCS level for a sustained period.
Robinson’s path looks similar to the one Gardner Minshew went through a year ago. Nick Foles went down in Week 1 of the 2019 season-opening an opportunity for an unheralded rookie. Minshew took the job and has not looked back.
In the case of Robinson, the Jaguars cut ties with Fournette, and Ryquell Armstead found himself on the COVID list. Now it’s the Robinson show, and he’s running away with the job. Jacksonville doesn’t miss Fournette in the slightest.
Through two weeks (against the Colts and Titans), Robinson is averaging 5.1 yards per carry on 32 total attempts. Fournette averaged under four YPC in two of his seasons with the Jags. Maybe the offensive line wasn’t the problem. Fournette did have a problem: He was lazy.
It’s Robinson’s job until he proves that it isn’t. Every year we seem to get one undrafted running back that makes a massive impact for his team. That man this year is James Robinson, who has been a home run pick up for Jacksonville.
