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Everyone following the Arizona Cardinals appears to be laser-focused on the anticipated Year 1 to Year 2 jump in play from wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. — whatever that’s going to look like.
That’s fair. It’s valid.
But let’s not forget about the Cardinals’ other first-round draft pick from 2024, defensive tackle Darius Robinson, who went No. 27 overall — 23 spots behind Maserati Marv.
If any second-year player on Arizona’s roster needs a significant bump in performance, it’s Robinson.
Harrison finished second on the team in receptions (62) and receiving yards (885) and led the Cardinals with eight touchdown catches as a rookie. He wasn’t the disappointment many have tried to make him out to be, which has never made sense.
Harrison, after all, finished with the same number of touchdown grabs as Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald and Harrison’s Hall of Famer father, Marvin Sr. had as rookies.
Robinson, meanwhile, clearly is entering a prove-it year after being limited to just six games because of a nagging calf injury followed by a bereavement period away from the club to mourn the loss of his mother, Valori.
It felt like he faded out of sight, and after the way general manager Monti Ossenfort began stockpiling extra defensive linemen this offseason, it’s fair to wonder if Robinson is starting to slip out of mind.
Don’t forget, the Cardinals not only signed veteran free agents such as Calais Campbell and Dalvin Tomlinson, but they spent this year’s first-round draft pick on defensive tackle Walter Nolen III, re-signed veteran L.J. Collier and have added three other D-linemen in Patrick Jenkins, P.J. Mustipher and Elijah Simmons Jr.
They still have veterans Justin Jones, Bilal Nichols and up-and-coming Dante Stills among their defensive tackles as well.
Did Robinson begin to think he was being forgotten?
“I don’t think so. I just think it’s a business,” he said May 28 at the Cardinals’ Tempe training facility as the club began its first round of organized team activities. “At (Missouri), our No. 1 thing was always compete, so it’s the same thing in the NFL — always compete. … You’ve just got to make sure the tape is even hotter. I’m just super excited to compete, and ultimately, we’re all teammates, so we’re just chasing one goal.”
That all sounds well and good — and Robinson appears to be in a much better place in terms of body type and conditioning — but where will he end up on the depth chart? That’s anyone’s guess, and it’s going to be interesting to see how it plays out.
Coach Jonathan Gannon said Robinson “has worked extremely hard this offseason,” that he looks good and is ready to go, and that “he wants to get on the grass and play football. That's all of our guys.”
But then Gannon said this, and it was curious:
“You are never a finished product. You're either getting better or getting worse — whatever that means, kind of a cliché, but it's probably true.”
Robinson should take that as a challenge, if he hasn’t already. He seems to be very aware of what’s at stake, considering he missed most of his rookie season. It ended up being a blur and a bit of a nightmare.
“Last year was like the hardest year of my life, but then it was the best year of my life in the same year,” he said.“I definitely felt the lowest, but I also felt the highest. I’m ready to get back to the highest point, and I know it takes a lot of hard work, so I’m just super excited for this year.”
Someone asked him if he felt a need to, in some way, complete his first year in the NFL before moving on to begin his second year.
“Not really,” Robinson said. “When I was out there, I did my very best, but I think the jump from Year 1 to Year 2 is going to be huge, so I’m obviously excited to put it on tape. I feel like I’ve got a lot to prove this year.”
There is no question about that. Maybe Robinson can duplicate what Cardinals tight end Trey McBride was able to do from Year 1 to Year 2.
Robinson noted that McBride spoke to all the rookies a year ago, telling them how he didn’t play all that much his first year in 2022. But after making his mark in Year 2, McBride had a breakout season in 2024 and this offseason became, at the time, the highest-paid tight end in the league until George Kittle signed a slightly bigger extension a few weeks later with the 49ers.
“I talked to him. I heard his story,” Robinson said. “And I think about my story and just think about putting one foot in front of the other. … I’ve had a lot of time just to think about everything. I just want to put new stuff on tape. New thoughts, new memories, new moments. Not because I’m trying to wipe away the past or anything. I just want a fresh year.
“I control that by what I put on tape, so I’m just super excited for this year.”
Reach McManaman at bob.mcmanaman@arizonarepublic. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @azbobbymac and listen to him live every Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. on Roc and Manuch with Jimmy B on ESPN 620 (KTAR-AM).
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Darius Robinson is under just as much pressure as Marvin Harrison Jr.
Continue reading...
That’s fair. It’s valid.
But let’s not forget about the Cardinals’ other first-round draft pick from 2024, defensive tackle Darius Robinson, who went No. 27 overall — 23 spots behind Maserati Marv.
If any second-year player on Arizona’s roster needs a significant bump in performance, it’s Robinson.
Harrison finished second on the team in receptions (62) and receiving yards (885) and led the Cardinals with eight touchdown catches as a rookie. He wasn’t the disappointment many have tried to make him out to be, which has never made sense.
Harrison, after all, finished with the same number of touchdown grabs as Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald and Harrison’s Hall of Famer father, Marvin Sr. had as rookies.
Robinson, meanwhile, clearly is entering a prove-it year after being limited to just six games because of a nagging calf injury followed by a bereavement period away from the club to mourn the loss of his mother, Valori.
It felt like he faded out of sight, and after the way general manager Monti Ossenfort began stockpiling extra defensive linemen this offseason, it’s fair to wonder if Robinson is starting to slip out of mind.
Don’t forget, the Cardinals not only signed veteran free agents such as Calais Campbell and Dalvin Tomlinson, but they spent this year’s first-round draft pick on defensive tackle Walter Nolen III, re-signed veteran L.J. Collier and have added three other D-linemen in Patrick Jenkins, P.J. Mustipher and Elijah Simmons Jr.
They still have veterans Justin Jones, Bilal Nichols and up-and-coming Dante Stills among their defensive tackles as well.
Did Robinson begin to think he was being forgotten?
“I don’t think so. I just think it’s a business,” he said May 28 at the Cardinals’ Tempe training facility as the club began its first round of organized team activities. “At (Missouri), our No. 1 thing was always compete, so it’s the same thing in the NFL — always compete. … You’ve just got to make sure the tape is even hotter. I’m just super excited to compete, and ultimately, we’re all teammates, so we’re just chasing one goal.”
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That all sounds well and good — and Robinson appears to be in a much better place in terms of body type and conditioning — but where will he end up on the depth chart? That’s anyone’s guess, and it’s going to be interesting to see how it plays out.
Coach Jonathan Gannon said Robinson “has worked extremely hard this offseason,” that he looks good and is ready to go, and that “he wants to get on the grass and play football. That's all of our guys.”
But then Gannon said this, and it was curious:
“You are never a finished product. You're either getting better or getting worse — whatever that means, kind of a cliché, but it's probably true.”
Robinson should take that as a challenge, if he hasn’t already. He seems to be very aware of what’s at stake, considering he missed most of his rookie season. It ended up being a blur and a bit of a nightmare.
“Last year was like the hardest year of my life, but then it was the best year of my life in the same year,” he said.“I definitely felt the lowest, but I also felt the highest. I’m ready to get back to the highest point, and I know it takes a lot of hard work, so I’m just super excited for this year.”
Someone asked him if he felt a need to, in some way, complete his first year in the NFL before moving on to begin his second year.
“Not really,” Robinson said. “When I was out there, I did my very best, but I think the jump from Year 1 to Year 2 is going to be huge, so I’m obviously excited to put it on tape. I feel like I’ve got a lot to prove this year.”
There is no question about that. Maybe Robinson can duplicate what Cardinals tight end Trey McBride was able to do from Year 1 to Year 2.
Robinson noted that McBride spoke to all the rookies a year ago, telling them how he didn’t play all that much his first year in 2022. But after making his mark in Year 2, McBride had a breakout season in 2024 and this offseason became, at the time, the highest-paid tight end in the league until George Kittle signed a slightly bigger extension a few weeks later with the 49ers.
“I talked to him. I heard his story,” Robinson said. “And I think about my story and just think about putting one foot in front of the other. … I’ve had a lot of time just to think about everything. I just want to put new stuff on tape. New thoughts, new memories, new moments. Not because I’m trying to wipe away the past or anything. I just want a fresh year.
“I control that by what I put on tape, so I’m just super excited for this year.”
Reach McManaman at bob.mcmanaman@arizonarepublic. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @azbobbymac and listen to him live every Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. on Roc and Manuch with Jimmy B on ESPN 620 (KTAR-AM).
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Darius Robinson is under just as much pressure as Marvin Harrison Jr.
Continue reading...