Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
And the award for the most meaningless 2013 NFL off-season transaction goes to the Philadelphia Eagles, for this week’s one-for-one swap with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
After now-former Eagles RB Felix Jones barely even made an NFL roster spot this spring, the Steelers decided that he was worth giving up their 2012 undrafted free-agent, LB Adrian Robinson.
Well, yeah. Duh.
Please save your breathe before you try and convince me that Robinson, a former Temple Owl, has any true NFL potential. Yes, I know he was named the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Defensive Player of the Year in 2009, but too bad he completely disappeared during his final two collegiate seasons. Also, being named the best defensive player in the MAC is just like being named the best player on the Oakland Raiders. It means nothing.
There is nothing that screams “sleeper” in Robinson’s undersized, underwhelming physical stature, or his mediocre preseason play. For some reason certain analysts are really high on this kid because he has not yet plummeted out of the league, and I guess the Eagles are buying in.
At least the Birds didn’t really lose out on any talent in the trade, considering Jones is near-cut material as far as I’m concerned. I will never forget Jones showing up fat and out of shape to Dallas Cowboys training camp last year. A lack of conditioning and physical fitness is just completely unacceptable, and humiliating, when you are a competitor in any professional sport.
With Steelers rookie RB Le’Veon Bell battling injury already, Jones has a chance to immediately make an impact in the Burgh’s backfield. Too bad a chance isn’t a guarantee, as I expect Jones to do next to nothing for the remainder of his NFL career.
While the Eagles didn’t really lose out on anything by shipping Jones away, they also gained nothing in Robinson, when they could have bartered for a player who was actually worth the paperwork.
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