Chiefs Sign Dunta Robinson: 5 Quick Reactions
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
The Kansas City Chiefs were busy late last night, agreeing to a three-year contract with former Atlanta Falcons CB Dunta Robinson.
Robsinson was originally drafted by the Houston Texans. He was the tenth player taken in 2004. Dunta played for the Texans through the 2009 season before jumping ship to Atlanta. Starting as a rookie, Robinson nabbed six interceptions and 87 tackles.
Here are five quick reactions to the Robinson signing.
1. Beware the Stanford Routt effect
The Chiefs signed a veteran CB last season in Stanford Routt. While I loved the move at the time, Routt struggled at times for the Chiefs and was eventually cut before the end of the season.*
Robinson will be 31 in April and so I am going to proceed with caution. While like the move, there is no guarantee it will work out.
*For the record, I still think cutting Stanford Routt was a big mistake.
2. Dunta could play safety
The Chiefs could be looking to move Robinson to safety. Since Robinson is aging and likely losing a little bit of his speed, KC might decide to slide him over to the safety position.
There is no loyalty to Kendrick Lewis on the part of the new regime. The FS has been struggling with a shoulder injury that caused him to miss much of last season and may have impacted his tackling ability when he did play. KC has added Husain Abdullah but he hasn’t played football an entire year.
A recent report from Pro Football Talk claims the Chiefs are paying Robinson starter’s money. But are they paying him starting CB money?
If KC really does want to move Dunta, they could decide to make him a SS. Robinson is still very good in the running game. The move would enable KC to move Eric Berry to FS where he could be more Ed Reed and less Troy Polamalu. Being at FS would enable Berry the opportunity to use his athleticism to intercept passes.
I am not saying a move for Robinson or Berry is in the cards but it is something to consider.
3. The new regime was aggressive
Remember when Scotty Pioli came to town? Other than the Matt Cassel trade, Pioli spent most of his time dismantling the roster and adding “his guys” to the bottom of it. Then he started tossing out catch phrases like “right 53” and “substance over sizzle,” which was Pioli-speak for “signing and drafting crappy players.”
The new regime under John Dorsey, is nothing if not aggressive. Some of the moves they have made are slam dunks while others, like the Alex Smith deal, are questionable.
I don’t know how this will all work out but after the last few years of Pioli’s methodical approach to losing, Dorsey’s ways are refreshing.
4. The new regime is unpredictable
I think we can all agree here, right? I had no idea the Chiefs were interested in Robinson. We are getting leaks and reports on a lot of the the moves the Chiefs are trying to make but this one went under our radar. The rest of this offseason should be fun.
5. Robinson can’t be the only answer
Even if Robinson is the guy the Chiefs want to start for them at CB this season, he can’t be the only corner the team adds. The Chiefs lack depth and the new regime would do well do double down on most positions with veterans and young, talented players. While Robinson’s age is a concern, plenty of corners have had strong seasons after the age of 30. New defensive coordinator Bob Sutton could have a big impact on the success of this trade. Bob has a lot of talent to play with. If he can get the most out of the Chiefs, KC could have a dominant defensive unity in 2013.