Vikings Lose Their First Player To Free Agency
2012 third round cornerback Josh Robinson entered the 2015 offseason as a favorite to start within Mike Zimmer’s defense, but a year later he is exiting Minnesota and the Vikings are said to have not put up much of a fight.
Robinson is the first Vikings unrestricted free agent to leave for another team this offseason, as reports have him signing a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday.
Robinson flashed as a rookie, had a terrible season in 2013 when Leslie Frazier forced him to play in the slot, and then rebounded nicely playing outside in Mike Zimmer’s 2014 season (Alshon Jeffery aside). His 2015 season was derailed by an offseason pectoral injury and the more than one local beat writer has suggested the Vikings never intended to bring him back once his contract expired.
While the opinions differ among our writers here at VT, I’m comfortable putting it out there that I am disappointed not see the 25 year old cornerback return to provide depth and potential at a position where those two things are always valuable. His height (5′ 10″) likely did him no favors, however, as Zimmer has made it known he much prefers cornerbacks with larger frames.
Robinson was born in Florida, attended the University of Central Florida, and so this becomes somewhat of a homecoming for him. As opinions go, I think Robinson has a great chance at being successful in Tampa Bay, and we wish him the best of luck.
Rhett Ellison, Terence Newman, Matt Asiata, Chad Greenway, Jason Trusnik, Robert Blanton, and Casey Matthews are the Vikings free agents that currently remain unemployed by an NFL franchise.