Under The Radar
July 20th, 2016
Overlooking a player.
With all the chatter about Brent Grimes (and Miko!) and Vernon Hargreaves and Alterraun Verner and Johnthan Banks, a certain cornerback is being overlooked.
Seemingly hidden in the free agency frenzy this spring was Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht signing Vikings cornerback Josh Robinson.
Typing for SportsTalkFlorida.com, Woody Cummings believes if Robinson has a strong training camp and preseason, he just might force a surprise change in the roster.
A former standout at UCF, Robinson has faded into the shadow cast by Brent Grimes and Vernon Hargreaves III, but he may be the best athlete among all the Bucs defensive backs. He has top-level speed and leaping ability and he could give Alterraun Verner a run for the outside starters job opposite Grimes — if the Bucs leave him where he belongs and don’t try to squeeze him into the slot.
If Robinson beats out Verner, then Verner’s days in Tampa just may be over. Remember, he is being paid $6.75 million this year, per Rotoworld.com. That’s an awfully big chunk of change to be paying a guy to sit on the bench. Robinson has a one-year contract for $2 million, per reliable Rotoworld.com.
In a way, Verner is lucky he is returning after being benched under Lovie Smith. It sure seems as if the Bucs are giving him a second chance to redeem himself, having hired the coach who helped mold him into a Pro Bowl corner at Tennessee, Brett Maxie.
July 20th, 2016 at 9:05 am
I don’t know about anyone else, but I can’t be more excited about what rookie Dan Vitale has in store. I think this kid is going to help LIGHT up this offense.
July 20th, 2016 at 10:01 am
Good luck with that, Woody.
@Dick Butkiss
I think Dan Vitale is going to be very good for the team, I’m just not sure it will happen this year.
July 20th, 2016 at 10:06 am
No team will pay Verner nearly $7 mil….so, if we decide to keep him, it’s time to restructure his contract.
July 20th, 2016 at 10:17 am
Depth and competition… The key to any good NFL roster. We have it at CB and OL. And I guess we could say DL as well… Keep building Mr. Licht. Keep building.
July 20th, 2016 at 11:03 am
I wanted Josh Robinson back when he was drafted.
He clocked a 4.3 at the combine.
The Vikings got him in the 3rd round.
He had 4 years to learn in Minnesota so he should be much more mature now.
I loved this signing from the start because of his SPEED.
Banks= 4.6
Verner=4.6
We desperately need a CB with wheels.
Josh Robinson is GREAT depth.
He clearly took this contract to get out of the cold and come back south. I bet he has a great year and will be re-signed for 4 more years after this year.
July 20th, 2016 at 11:27 am
Talk about off the radar Robinson’s name is barely mentioned. Thanks for shining the light on him. The opponents pass completion percentage is headed south.
July 20th, 2016 at 11:38 am
I’m really pulling for this guy.. We NEED speed on the back end cause we’ve been sorely lacking in that department for years now. Biggers was a 4.3 guy but that last fast DB we had who had with blazing speed to “track” the speedy WRs was probably Philip Buchanon
July 20th, 2016 at 12:03 pm
We have solid corners. Even more.so.this season. Coach my scheme just made them all look horrible!
July 20th, 2016 at 12:29 pm
That would be another failed FA acquisition by Jason Licht.
I highly doubt Robinson will beat out Verner. The reason being is that it was all Lovie’s fault as to why Verner had a down year. He didn’t “coach him up”, right guys?
If he is released I’ll always cherish the one interception and four passes he defended last season.
July 20th, 2016 at 12:47 pm
There’s a reason Robinson has been largely “overlooked” thus far. His stats for his 1st 4 years in the league are largely underwhelming. Especially last year. He played in only 5 games and had all of 2 tackles for the season in 2015. (maybe he was injured? not sure). That doesn’t exactly lead to credible prognostications that he is likely to have a monster camp/preseason and leapfrog both Verner and VH3 (or even Banks) to grab a starting job. I think the Bucs have a better chance of winning the SB this year than of that happening.
Robinson may make the team and be a decent back-up CB if he can find a role on special teams – but at best he is the 5th best CB on the team – and I’m sure Hey Jude has something to say about even that ranking.
July 20th, 2016 at 4:58 pm
Hahahahahaha Josh Robinson is a scrub!! We signed him for nothing for a reason. He may be athletic but he is terrible in coverage. He will be our #5 DB at best. No way in hell he starts ever here in Tampa.
That was good, thanks Joe, I needed that laugh. Extra boring day at work today!
July 20th, 2016 at 5:28 pm
I just read a story about Josh and his wife having their 1st baby 5 days ago and wanted to say congratulations to the family.
In reading what I wrote earlier – it now sounds harsh and critical. Perhaps knowing he just had a baby somehow makes it so. Its so easy to be an internet critic and completely forget about the real life human side of all these players.
So I want to also add that I am pulling for Josh Robinson to be a great CB for our Bucs and that I hope he excels at whatever roll he creates for himself and that the team provides him with.
Maybe he can even do what another Josh (Norman) recently did and basically come out of obscurity after a few years in the league to become a top shelf NFL CB.
July 20th, 2016 at 7:59 pm
Josh Robinson is a big talent, injuries have been main problem, he and adjei baremah are top tier depth
July 20th, 2016 at 11:35 pm
Josh Robinson struggled with the Vikings in 2013 when he was playing in the slot. He rebounded in 2014 where he played in all 16 games and recorded 3 INT and 8 passes defended. Pro Football Focus graded Robinson as the league’s 28th-best cornerback with a 50-percent completion rate (seventh lowest) and 65.2 quarterback rating (12th lowest). If he can play at that level this year it will be difficult to keep him off the field.
July 21st, 2016 at 12:22 am
Pickgrin..it’s his second son that was born..over 9 pounds and I tweeted him that his wife is birthing linebackers..
I like Josh..glad he’s not on his political soapbox anymore..lol…