Is the ground game back? It appears that way, as the first two deals before the 2022 NFL Trade Deadline have been revolved around running backs, including this shocker by the New York Jets on Monday.
Just four days after the San Francisco 49ers made a win-now move, trading for former Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey, the Jets seem to be signaling the same mentality by swinging a trade for Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson following a season-ending injury to rookie star Breece Hall.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media was the first to report the move, providing a compensation update as well. Jacksonville will receive a conditional sixth-round pick, that can become a fifth-round pick in return for its leading rusher from one season ago.
Robinson looked like the future of the Jaguars backfield after putting together a tremendous rookie season in 2020, where he ran for 1,070 yards and seven touchdowns, adding 49 receptions for 344 yards and three touchdowns through the air. Despite his breakout campaign, Jacksonville drafted Travis Etienne in the first round to replace Robinson in 2021 and have slowly been phasing him out throughout this season with Etienne fully healthy.
The Jets, who were rolling with Hall at running back and have compiled a 4-2 record, seemingly decided their roster was good enough to keep its winning pace with a starting caliber running back.
Robinson should help the Jets continue to do what they had done with Hall. His first game with New York could come against the Patriots in Week 8.
