The New York Giants announced that they signed former Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson. Terms of the deal were not disclosed but it’s believed to be a one-year, $8 million deal.
The Giants struggled mightily to defend the run during the 2022 season, so signing Robinson is a big get for them as he has been one of the more effective run-stoppers in the league the past couple of seasons. New York finished with the 27th-ranked run defense, so signing Robinson goes a long way in helping to improve that number ahead of next season.
The veteran defensive tackle is coming off a lackluster season that ended in injury as he suffered a torn meniscus in November that forced him to miss the Rams’ final seven games. Between the injury and the need to reset their cap sheet, it was no surprise that Los Angeles opted not to bring back Robinson on a short-term deal.
The former second-round pick struggled out of the gate with the Rams due to injuries, but he eventually found his footing during their Super Bowl season back in 2021. Robinson played in all 17 regular season games, starting 14 of them and recorded 67 total tackles including two for loss. He was also a big part of their championship run clogging the middle and forcing teams into more passing situations.
The past season was a solid year for Robinson before he got hurt as he started in all 10 games he appeared in, recording 42 combined tackles and two tackles for loss. Without Robinson, the Rams were forced to lean on more inexperienced players, which eventually led to some rough stretches in the second half of the season.
The defensive talent drain for Los Angeles is a concern, but this was all by design as the front office looks to look reset the roster. Armed with 11 picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Rams will have ample opportunities to replace players like Robinson with cheap, young talent that hopefully turn into long-term pieces.
For Robinson, the Giants are an excellent landing spot as they’ve got some exciting pieces to work with heading into the new season. Meanwhile, it’ll be interesting to see how Raheem Morris navigates the season with such a young defensive unit.
The franchise has earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to roster building, but this upcoming year is going to present new challenges and obstacles that will certainly take some adjusting to.
