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Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers executive Jon Robinson could head back to Foxborough as the New England Patriots general manager.
Robinson, who served as the Buccaneers director of player personnel from 2013 to 2015 has been named one of general manager candidates by multiple Patriots insiders. Longtime head coach and general manager Bill Belichick parted ways with the Patriots on Thursday.
New England already chose Jerod Mayo as the next head coach on Friday, and Robinson crossed paths with Mayo in Foxborough between 2008 and 2013. Robinson served as assistant director of college scouting and director of college scouting in that span while Mayo played linebacker for Belichick.
Robinson moved on to Tampa in 2013 where he worked with the Buccaneers during a rough three-year stretch of losing seasons. He notably worked with the team when former quarterback Jameis Winston became the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
“After three seasons in Tampa, Robinson was named the general manager of the [Tennessee] Titans in 2016,” CBS Sports Boston’s Matt Geagan wrote. “He helped turn that franchise around — along with head coach Mike Vrabel — with the Titans making it to the AFC title game in 2019. He was fired by Tennessee in 2022.”
Former Titans general manager Jon Robinson is here at Bucs OTA workout, hanging out with Jason Licht, who he worked with here before going to Tennessee.
Tennessee enjoyed six-straight winning seasons with Robinson as general manager before a 7-10 campaign in 2022. Robinson stayed out of the NFL in 2023 except for a brief appearance at Buccaneers organized team activities in May.
Robinson notably had another Patriots tie during his time with the Titans. Former Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel became the head coach of the Titans in 2018 before he got fired after the 2023 season.
Amid the Titans’ downturn, NESN’s Keagan Stieffel doesn’t view Robinson as one of the stronger GM candidates for the Patriots.
“This is another guy who probably isn’t ready to be a No. 1 again, but could provide a ton of value in the front office,” Stieffel wrote. “His tenure in Tennessee came to a rough end, but the Titans proceeded to go winless throughout the remainder of last season and eventually fired Mike Vrabel after new GM, Ran Carthon, chose to take the organization in a different direction.”
A.J. Brown Trade a Loss for Jon Robinson
The Athletic’s Chad Graff noted that Robinson’s A.J. Brown trade with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022 didn’t work in the Titans’ favor. Tennessee needed to bring in DeAndre Hopkins to make up for it in 2023 after Robinson’s tenure.
Hopkins posted 75 catches for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023. However, Brown eclipsed that with the Wild Card-bound Eagles as he tallied 106 catches for 1,456 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
Robinson can’t afford to make a similar move with the Patriots or another team in the future.
Jon Robinson Brings 1 Key Strength to Patriots
Robinson does have strengths as a potential general manager, however. Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald noted that Robinson “is regarded as an excellent college evaluator”, which the Patriots will desperately need for this year’s NFL Draft and beyond.
“Robinson’s seven years as a GM, during which time Tennessee posted six winning seasons, makes a strong case for him to at least earn an interview,” Callahan wrote.
New England has missed on drafts in recent years under Belichick, and that includes key positions across the board such as quarterback, receiver, and the offensive line. Robinson could help fix a key area that contributed to the Patriots downturn in recent years.
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Former Buccaneers Executive Could Rejoin Patriots as GM