Matt Eberflus' recent comment proves the team is going to be stubborn with a struggling former draft pick
Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus slipped a key detail regarding the roster status of former fifth-round pick Dominique Robinson while addressing the media on Saturday following practice.The recent draft pick has been struggling throughout his career and was potentially going to be on the roster bubble leading up to Tuesday's deadline.Now, it look's like […]
Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus slipped a key detail regarding the roster status of former fifth-round pick Dominique Robinson while addressing the media on Saturday following practice.
The recent draft pick has been struggling throughout his career and was potentially going to be on the roster bubble leading up to Tuesday's deadline.
Now, it look's like Robinson's spot on the team could be secure based on his coach's comments this weekend.
Following the final preseason game, the Bears made it clear that the depth on the defensive line needed some improvement ahead of roster cuts. As a result, the front office went out to acquire edge rusher Darrell Taylor from the Seattle Seahawks and interior defensive lineman Chris Williams from the Cleveland Browns.
In his first appearance since the deals were done, Eberflus was asked about how he plans on using Taylor in the rotation off the edge and included Robinson in his answer.
“I think it’ll be rotational and then we’ll play the hot hand,” Eberflus said. “Like I said, I feel really good about all the guys who are out there right now: [Austin] Booker, Dom [Robinson] and [DeMarcus Walker] and all those guys that are playing with Tez on the one side. We’ll just see, make it a competition, see who’s hot and let ’em rush.”
Since making that statement, everyone has been shocked that Eberflus slipped Robinson's name in that list of players. The recent draft pick has struggled to make an impact as a pass rusher since joining the Bears back in 2022. In his NFL debut, Robinson had 1.5 sacks but has only managed to add 0.5 sack in his last 27 games.
This preseason and training camp was Robinson's opportunity to prove himself worthy of staying on the roster and many believe he wasn't able to do so compared to other players in the room, most notably Daniel Hardy. Robinson played 61 snaps in the preseason, totaling just two pressures, zero sacks, and one tackle. By comparison, Hardy totaled 14 pressures, 3.5 sacks, and eight tackles on 109 defensive snaps.
Eberflus name dropping Robinson and not including Hardy also creates some disconnect in the coaching staff regarding the position. Here's what defensive coordinator Eric Washington had to say about Hardy's play this preseason last week.
“It has really stood out,” Washington said. “It has really stood out as far as what we’re asking that position to do, especially from a rush standpoint. He’s been extremely active. The energy has been high. He’s gotten quality wins in critical situations, and his effort has been phenomenal. Everything we start from an evaluation standpoint starts with hustle. And I don’t know anybody that has stood out as much as he has.”
It would be a major surprise if the Bears plan to keep Robinson on the 53-man roster over Hardy when the team starts trimming the roster down ahead of tomorrow's deadline. Hardy has proved his worth and it's hard to say the same about Robinson.
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