Getty Reggie Robinson II walks off the field while playing for the Dallas Cowboys.
Months after his departure from the Dallas Cowboys, a former fourth-round pick has found a new team in the AFC with the Cleveland Browns.
Dallas’ secondary helped the team rank No. 1 in the NFL in takeaways and interceptions in 2021, clocking in with 34 and 26 respectively. However, the release of the Cowboys’ fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft, Reggie Robinson II, did draw some attention last March.
Robinson initially signed with the Houston Texans, but was released earlier this week. Now, Robinson has been picked up by the Browns according to the AFC North’s team’s official release.
“The Cleveland Browns announced they have claimed S Luther Kirk (Atlanta) and CB Reggie Robinson II (Houston) via waivers,” Cleveland’s website reads.
Robinson being released after two months with the Texans may seem like things went wrong quickly, but the more likely scenario is that Houston and Robinson knew quickly that he would likely be cut further down the road. By releasing him in May, it allows the Texans to cut down the roster and gives Robinson a chance to go elsewhere.
That place turned out to be Cleveland, and the former Tulsa Hurricane is still at square one in terms of finding his way on a final 53-man roster.
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Robinson in the NFL
When Robinson was coming out of Tulsa in 2020, much of his draft hype centered around a breakout final season. After three seasons with 21 passes defended and no interceptions, Robinson recorded four picks and 13 passes defended in his 2019 season according to Tulsa World.
His senior-year surge and his offseason work impressed the Cowboys enough for Dallas to select him as the No. 123 pick. However, his NFL career didn’t begin in dream fashion.
Robinson was a healthy scratch for the first 11 games of the 2020 season, and the now 25-year-old corner had to wait until Week 12 to make his NFL debut. Further, Robinson didn’t play a regular-season snap on defense, with all of his work coming on special teams. He recorded one tackle, per PFR.
His second year with the Cowboys went even worse, as an unfortunate toe injury sidelined Robinson for the entire 2021 season. Rookie struggles and bad injury luck culminated in the Cowboys releasing the corner on March 11, and he was picked up by the Texans three days later.
Cowboys Go for Consistency in Secondary
While Robinson attempts to kickstart his career with the Browns, the Cowboys have elected to preserve the core of their secondary from the 2021 season.
Safeties Malik Hooker and Jayron Kearse re-signed with Dallas in free agency, with both defensive backs signing two-year deals worth $7 million and $10 million respectively, according to Spotrac.
Meanwhile, breakout star CB Trevon Diggs is on his rookie contract, and fellow starting CB Anthony Brown is entering his final season of a three-year contract. Along with nickel corner Jourdan Lewis in the midst of the second-year of a three-year deal, the primary starters of last year’s secondary all all returning.
That’s good news for the Cowboys, who lost a key defensive starter in edge rusher Randy Gregory. Limiting how open receivers get will contribute to coverage sacks, and Dallas will need help from all areas to make up for the lack of Gregory’s presence.