Yardbarker

Sam Robinson

Writer

Sam Robinson is a sportswriter from Kansas City, Missouri. He primarily covers the NFL for Yardbarker. Moving from wildly injury-prone sprinter in the aughts to reporter in the 2010s, Sam set up camp in three time zones covering everything from high school water polo to Division II national championship games. He has since settled in as the husband of a track and field coach, concentrating on the NFL. Boasting an unhealthy interest in the league’s history and fashion trends, Sam is the lead writer for Pro Football Rumors and has written about the sport for Yardbarker since 2018. In addition to working as a writer/editor for a few newspapers – the Cleveland Plain Dealer and St. Joseph (Missouri) News-Press, to name two – in a former life that included some awkward awards-show hosting gigs thankfully inaccessible online, Sam has written about the Olympics for The Athletic.

EXPERTISE:

NFL, track and field, boxing

2020 vision: Why next year could be crazy for starting QB-needy NFL teams

If the Colts are not convinced Jacoby Brissett can keep them on the contender tier, they will join what could be a glut of teams seeking better options in 2020, Sam Robinson writes..

The best player for each of the 32 NFL franchises

We are in the final days of the lead-up to the NFL's 100th season. Some of the greatest players in the league's history are still going strong; others are establishing legacies and rising up the ranks.

Yardbarker's 100 bold NFL predictions for 2019

For the 100th anniversary NFL season, Yardbarker decided to go deep. Here are 100 2019 season predictions --- including AFC and NFL playoff outlooks and Super Bowl champ -- from Sam Robinson and Chris Mueller.

How NFL players performed in their 20th season

Tom Brady is venturing into his 20th season. While the Patriots quarterback is the highest-profile player to make it this far, several before him have gotten to Year 20.

Whoa! Let's tap brakes on expectations for Browns

A rookie head coach and issues on the offensive line are among reasons we should not expect a deep playoff run for Cleveland this season, Yardbarker's Sam Robinson writes.

Why Broncos' fans should worry about Elway's QB eye

With straight faces, the Broncos are counting on Joe Flacco to recapture his age-29 form, Sam Robinson writes. And he's backed up by rookie Drew Lock, who doesn't inspire confidence.

Career highlights from 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees

The Pro Football Hall of Fame will induct its 57th class on Saturday. This one consists of eight members, four of them defensive backs.

49ers' unusually long grace period cannot last another year

If Jimmy Garoppolo cannot prove his bosses right this season, it will be difficult to see how the Kyle Shanahan-John Lynch pairing stays in place in 2020, Yardbarker's Sam Robinson writes.

10 NFL teams most likely to implode in 2019

Teams face heightened stakes for different reasons in 2019. For some it may be that their coaches or general managers are on the hot seat, while others may be challenged with certain roster blueprints running their courses.

Why star NFL wide receivers are cashing in — and elite cornerbacks are not

Yardbarker's Sam Robinson explores the strange imbalance between the salaries of top receivers and the players best equipped to cover them.

Stargazing: Pro Football Hall of Fame crystal ball

Let's gaze into our crystal ball to identify young football players who could be on a path to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This list is limited to players with three years or less of experience in the NFL and college players of immense promise. 

Walter Payton: Career retrospective

On what would have been Sweetness' 65th birthday, here is a look at the career of one of the league's all-time greats.

The best and worst position groups heading into the NFL season

With training camp kicking off, we have reached the end of the NFL offseason. Teams will now get a true look at their rosters. Certain franchises have done well to fortify position groups, while others are taking chances.

Ranking the skill-position groups for each NFL team

While the NFL will not have as many new starting quarterbacks as it did in 2018, some high-profile weapons changed teams this offseason. Here is how the NFL's skill-position situations look going into training camp.

Yardbarker's Ultimate NFL Hall of Fame tiers

What active NFL players are Hall of Fame worthy? That's the question we posed to Yardbarker editors and writers, and boy did we have some spirited debates.

So long, Eli Manning. Your next stop is Hall of Fame.

Eli Manning’s Hall of Fame debate will be one of the more complicated in pro football history, Yardbarker's Sam Robinson writes. But the retiring star merits inclusion in Canton.

The best second acts in NFL history

With an aim to highlight the players who went through a major change upon switching teams, as opposed to limiting choices to greats staying great in different cities, here are the league's best second acts.

Who had the best final seasons in NFL history?

Some acclaimed NFL talents recently submitted strong final seasons, with multiple perennial Pro Bowlers opting to call it quits earlier than expected. Here is how these players rank among the best final seasons in the NFL's first 100 years.

NFL franchise tag hurts players. Here's what's worse.

The fifth-year option gives NFL teams another way to slow top players’ earning potential, Sam Robinson writes. Case in point: Houston's Jadeveon Clowney.

How Eagles stumbled into opportunity to win Super Bowl with Carson Wentz

Carson Wentz’s extension may look like another contract that will limit a team from building a championship-level roster. But it won't, Sam Robinson writes.

Every NFL team's best position group of all time

As NFL teams survey their depth at respective OTAs and minicamps, here is a reminder of roster-construction mastery executed by each franchise. These are the best position groups each team has ever fielded.