The New Orleans Saints have eight remaining players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents on March 10, plus three restricted free agents. Here's a breakdown on cornerback Patrick Robinson.
Age: 27
Experience: Heading into sixth season
Height: 5-11
Weight: 191
Outlook: My guess is that Robinson will move on this year as a change of scenery could be good for both the Saints and their former first-round draft pick. But I can’t easily write him off, since Robinson has shown a lot of resilience and the Saints have shown persistent faith in him throughout a roller-coaster five-year career.
Even after Robinson got benched just two weeks into last season, coach Sean Payton made a point to call him into his office and share a list of cornerbacks who had successful careers after being demoted. And sure enough, Robinson bounced back and played well as New Orleans’ nickel back and part-time starter later in the season -- highlighted by an outstanding Week 13 performance against Pittsburgh’s Antonio Brown.
However, the Saints still elected to go with Terrence Frederick as their No. 2 starter ahead of Robinson down the stretch. So it’s unclear where Robinson fits in the Saints’ plans going forward -- especially since Payton labeled cornerback as the Saints’ No. 1 “must” for this offseason.
Teammates and coaches have always raved about Robinson’s speed and natural ability, but Robinson has admittedly battled confidence issues throughout his career. His combination of great potential and frustrating inconsistency has defined his career since the Saints took him with the 32nd pick out of Florida State in 2010. Robinson’s best season came as a No. 3 corner in 2011; his worst came as a full-time starter in 2012; his 2013 season was wiped out by a major knee injury.
Although his speed makes him seem like a better fit on the outside, Robinson has never been great in press coverage. And he seemed to play better and more aggressively on the inside last year. So maybe that’s the best role for him going forward, whether it’s with the Saints or another team that elects to take a chance on his potential.