Khiry

Robinson

Robinson, an undrafted rookie out of West Texas A&M, got his chances with the Saints up 31-7 deep in the fourth quarter. He took advantage of it in a big way, drawing “oohs” from the crowd as he burst through holes. This is not a fluke -- Robinson rushed 49 times for 229 yards and caught 11 passes for 103 yards in the preseason. He’s a name to watch if Mark Ingram gets traded.

Cadet is competing with undrafted rookie Khiry Robinson for the No. 4 running back job. After a strong rookie preseason, Cadet has struggled mightily through two exhibition games this year. He’s rushed for just 35 yards on 18 carries and has fumbled twice. Robinson has 102 yards on the ground. Cadet has a versatile skill set, but he’s off the re-draft fantasy radar.

Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram, and Darren Sproles combined to carry the ball 13 times. 25 of Robinson’s yards came on one carry. The Bucs bottled up the run for much of the day. Robinson was a nice surprise as an undrafted rookie out of West Texas A&M. The Saints’ No. 4 back rushed for 274 yards and one touchdown on 66 carries. He shouldn’t see much action during the playoffs.

The undrafted rookie caught one pass for 13 yards. Apparently compared to Curtis Martin by Bill Parcells during the week, Robinson had little trouble finding lanes against Seattle’s up-and-down run defense, but had an obvious fumble missed by the referees. An imposing 6-foot-0, 220 pounds, Robinson goes into the offseason on the back of a 54/224/1 year as a rusher. He has deceptive speed for his size. Robinson has obvious upside as a runner, but is going to have trouble tapping it in New Orleans’ committee backfield. He’s worth a hold in Dynasty leagues, but is unlikely to be a major asset in 2014.

Thomas hasn’t practiced since the Week 17 injury. Mark Ingram did a fine job of stepping up between the tackles in last week’s Wild Card win at Philly, but that was against a weak defense using five- and six-man boxes. We wouldn’t expect the Saints to have much success running the ball in Seattle.

Robinson got some series to himself behind Mark Ingram with Pierre Thomas (chest) inactive. Once again, the undrafted rookie out of West Texas A&M opened eyes with his power/speed combo. The extent of Thomas’ injury is unclear, so Robinson’s role for the Divisional Round game at Seattle next week is murky. He had more than one carry in a game just seven times during the regular season.

Robinson reportedly re-injured the broken leg which he suffered last November. With Robinson gone, Matt Forte’s hold on the short-yardage work appears much more secure. New York also waived CB Dexter McDougle, DB Ronald Martin, and RB Dominique Williams. Troymaine Pope, who had an impressive preseason with the Seahawks, is now the team’s No. 3 back.

Still recovering from a broken leg, Robinson will need to get healthy first, but there is no reason he cannot push for a role. Matt Forte has not been an effective short-yardage back throughout his career, and Bilal Powell does not fit the profile of a power back either. Robinson has converted 7-of-13 career attempts inside the 10 into touchdowns, a rate which is well above league average. It would not be surprising if he won the short-yardage job in camp.

Robinson is still working his way back from a broken leg, but should be considered day-to-day. When healthy, Robinson is expected to compete for some goal-line work. The Jets signed RB Bernard Pierce on Wednesday.

Slater is not making a definitive statement on what Robinson’s role will be, but it would make sense for the Jets to use him in short-yardage situations. Matt Forte has never been good near the goal line, and Bilal Powell does not fit the mold of a power back. Robinson does, and it would not be surprising if he saw most of his work around the end zone. He is a real threat to Forte’s touchdown total.