Brian Robinson will be traded to San Francisco, once he passes a physical. That helps to clean up one backfield (at least somewhat) but muddies up another.
I take it as an indication the 49ers have some nervousness about injuries at the running back position. Christian McCaffrey is supposedly in top form right now, but he’s 29 and has long had problems staying healthy. And both of the projected top two backs behind him are currently out with injuries – Isaac Guerendo and Jordan James.
Guerendo flashed some potential as a rookie, but Robinson has more experience (Guerendo started only one game at the college level). I would guess Robinson will now be San Francisco’s second-string tailback.
The move is curious in that the 49ers earlier in the offseason traded away Jordan Mason, who’s averaged over 5 yards per carry in all three of his seasons with the team. Now they’ve making a similar trade for another back in a contract year. Both backs are entering their fourth seasons, and Robinson costs about $2 million more.
For Washington, it was a foregone conclusion that Robinson would be moved; the only question was the destination. Robinson didn’t dress for the Monday night game and was asked to stay away from practice.
A report in The Athletic says the Commanders made initial attempts to trade Robinson a year ago. The deal with San Francisco is for a sixth-round pick.
Washington is left with some combination of four backs – Austin Ekeler, Chris Rodriguez, Jeremy McNichols and Jacory Croskey-Merritt. None of those four backs (in my opinion) are suited to be full-time kind of guys. Ekeler and McNichols have the most experience in passing situations. Rodriguez has the most size. Croskey-Merritt has the most wiggle.
Robinson is oddly now on the same roster as Ricky Pearsall. Both were shot in robbery attempts during the preseason of their rookie seasons.
—Ian Allan