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New York Giants Sign James Robinson

Julian Casciano / NFL / July 21, 2023

New York Giants Sign James Robinson

The New York Giants have signed a running back to boost their depth in James Robinson.

Robinson, 24, is an undrafted running back who quickly made a name for himself in the NFL. He was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2020, and he quickly made an impact. That year he was excellent, rushing for 1,414 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie, adding 32 receptions for 243 yards. Robinson’s performance earned him a spot on the Pro Football Writers Association’s All-Rookie Team.

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Robinson’s sophomore season was cut s h ort by a Torn Achilles. He missed the final 10 games of the season, but he returned in 2022. That season he took a step back with Jacksonville, as running back Travis Etienne emerged as the premiere guy. Robinson was cast aside, and only started five games and rushed for 340 yards. Jacksonville then shipped him off to the New York Jets, where he only had 29 carries in four games for less than 100 yards.

Now, Robinson will get a fresh start in New York in an interesting situation, to say the least. New York’s star running back Saquon Barkley has been mired in a deep contract dispute with the team. Barkley didn’t get the massive contract that he was seeking this offseason. He was seen on a podcast this week saying that anything is possible, including sitting out this entire season.

Accompanying Barkley in the backfield is Matt Breida, who had a solid season for the Giants last year as their second back. Gary Brightwell, a late-round pick who hasn’t had many opportunities in his career just yet, is also around.

The Giants also just drafted Eric Gray out of Oklahoma. No team in the NFL carries five running backs on their roster, so expect one or two of these guys to take on a special teams role or a practice squad role.