Report: Injury issues were factor in Patriots releasing RB James Robinson
The New England Patriots released James Robinson on Monday, which was a bit of a surprising move.
Robinson was signed by the Patriots as a free agent in March and was expected to play a decent-sized role as a running back who could lighten Rhamondre Stevenson's workload and play on third downs as a pass-catcher out of the backfield.
Why was Robinson released on Day 1 of mandatory minicamp?
Well, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, injuries were a factor in the decision.
A little more context on the Patriots’ release of James Robinson: Injuries were the issue, and the veteran RB couldn’t stay on the field, per source.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) June 13, 2023
Robinson, who played seven games for the Jacksonville Jaguars and four for the New York Jets last season, also missed six games. He missed three games in each of his first two seasons with Jacksonville.
He has exciting talent, but it's hard to win a roster spot when staying on the field proves to be difficult.
The departure of Robinson leaves Stevenson, Pierre Strong Jr., Kevin Harris and Ty Montgomery on the Patriots' running back depth chart.
It might make sense to bring in another veteran running back at some point. Montgomery has dealt with his own injury issues, including 2022 when he missed 16 of New England's 17 games. Montgomery has played just 79 games in eight pro seasons.
