In our continuing series where we try to learn more on the Saints’ new players by checking in with blogging experts, I reached out to Thomas Moore of Dawg Pound Daily. He was kind enough to give us some really good info below so many thanks to him for taking the time. You can check them out on Twitter here.
Andrew / Saints Nation: Are you surprised Robertson’s deal was for so little? Seems like 3 years $5 million is cheap for a clear starter. Why didn’t the Browns make a run at him if he cost that little – or did he want out?
Thomas / Dawg Pound Daily: Craig Robertson was in that second-tier of free agents, along with Johnson Bademosi, that most people assumed would resign with the Browns. But the team never really said much about him and once he started visiting other teams it seemed inevitable that he would leave.
Robertson isn’t a bad player and he had a good season when defensive coordinator Ray Horton was last in Cleveland in 2013, so it is a wee bit surprising the Browns did not make more of an effort to resign him. But Robertson does fall into the category of “we went 3-13 with you, we can do it just as easily without you” and the Browns may be ready to give Christian Kirksey, who is five years younger, more of a role to see what he can do.
The Saints currently have Stephone Anthony, James Laurinaitis and Dannell Ellerbe slotted as the starters, but Ellerbe has a massive injury history. Are you surprised Robertson was signed to add depth? In you mind is he a clear starter quality player?
Robertson’s best role should probably be as a depth player and contributor on special teams. He struggles against the run (good luck if you have to pair him with Laurinaitis) so having him on the field on first or second down can be a problem. If someone like Ellerbe goes down with an injury then Robertson is a good player to have around, but counting on him to be an impact-player may be a bit of a stretch.
I think the big question on every Saints fans mind is: can he cover? The biggest issue defensively last year was covering tight ends and backs out of the backfield. I noticed he has 6 interceptions in 4 seasons. Is that an indication that’s a strong part of his game?
This is an area where Robertson has worked hard and definitely improved his game (and not just from the perspective of “there is nowhere to go but up.”) He was horrific early on in his career but has come a long way and while he is not anything resembling a “lockdown” linebacker in coverage, he has worked his way into being respectable in pass coverage.
Anything else we should know about him? What should we expect?
Robertson is a player who will work hard, show up every day and not cause any problems. If the coaches put him in the right situations and don’t ask him to do more than he can, Saints fans shouldn’t have anything (or at least not much) to complain about for the next couple of years with Robertson.
But if he’s forced or expected to be a full-time starter then it will be a bit more frustrating. He’s a decent player, but one with limitations, so as long as the team doesn’t oversell what he brings to the field everything should work out fine.
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