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

NFL legends who had great seasons on awful teams

Many NFL greats have been trapped on bad teams at select points. Other players who are not in the Hall of Fame or on Canton paths have excelled for teams that bottomed out.

Who could be on the move at the NFL trade deadline?

With potential sellers having more info on their trajectories, the league is already seeing action. After some early wide receiver trades, here are the top candidates to be moved before this year's November 5 deadline.

Who are the best NFL players from the 21st century?

The NFL is now in its 25th 21st-century season, making for a good time to take stock of the game's modern-era greats. Here is the league's All-21st Century team.

The most memorable NFL QB benchings

The Panthers' Bryce Young demotion came historically quick for a highly drafted quarterback, but other top prospects have endured similar fates; high-profile veterans, too. With an aim to avoid injury-related changes or one-off demotions in which the player returned to action soon after, here are the NFL's most memorable quarterback benchings.

Every NFL team's single-game sack record holder

Since sacks became official in 1982, here is each team's best individual pass-rushing performance.

Every NFL team's best all-time tight end

Tight ends still feature myriad responsibilities, but their job descriptions have changed over the NFL's history. Evolving passing concepts has affected this position's reputation more than most.

What NFL teams have the NFL's best alternate uniforms?

After a host of teams dusted off classic throwback uniforms for a new generation to appreciate, a handful of clubs changed uniforms this offseason. Here is a look at how the alternates and throwbacks stack up heading into the 2024 season.

Which NFL QBs have won a playoff game with multiple teams?

While a number of quarterbacks have started playoff games for multiple teams, the list of those to have won games with two franchises is much smaller. From Hall of Fame-bound legends to a few journeymen seizing the moment, here are the passers to win postseason games with two teams.

The best players ever selected by an NFL expansion team

NFL expansion drafts have been going on for decades. Hall of Famers, Pro Bowlers, and eventual regular starters have emerged via this obscure transaction.

Every 2024 NFL skill-position group, ranked

As wide receiver paydays skyrocket, NFL teams continue to invest heavily in their skill-position troops. Here is how the 32 clubs' wideout-running back-tight end contingents look heading into training camps.

25 roster spots across the NFL that still need an upgrade

Teams still have several weeks before the deadline to set 53-man rosters. As clubs formulate their depth charts during the summer, here are the biggest need areas to monitor ahead of the regular season.

The greatest pass-rushing group for each NFL franchise

The league only keeps official sack stats dating to 1982, but unofficial numbers shed some light on previous eras' best pressure artists. With an eye on impact, here are the best pass-rushing groups each franchise has fielded.

NFL teams who changed QBs after a playoff berth

While retirements have impacted playoff-bound teams' quarterback situations, a host of clubs have sought an upgrade from a starter who was in place for a postseason appearance.

30 NFL teams that switched coaches after making the playoffs

While not especially common, a number of NFL teams have changed coaches after qualifying for the playoffs. From retirements to resignations to firings, here are the teams who have made post-playoff switches since the 1970 merger.

NFL Draft history: The best QBs taken in the second round

The allure of the first-round quarterback remains the foundational NFL building block, but a number of teams have used second-round passers to blaze memorable trails.

The biggest all-time move-ups in the NFL Draft

Quarterback trade-ups dominate NFL draft discourse today, but teams have made major moves up draft boards to acquire blue-chip talent at other positions for decades.

Which NFL teams currently have the best QB-situation?

With an aim to rank team's capabilities at quarterback independent of contract situations, here is how the situations stack up entering offseason workouts.

25 NFL players who had a good offseason

Teams' offseason moves improved several players' situations. Here are the players who benefited most from offseason events.

The all-time top seasons from undrafted NFL rookies

A number of players have made important contributions as rookies. Some have done so after going undrafted in 12- or 17-round drafts, others emerging after not being part of seven-round drafts in recent decades. Here are the top seasons from undrafted rookies in the common draft era (1967-present).

Looking back at the final season for every NFL Hall of Fame coach

The 2024 NFL offseason has brought significant change, with Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll gone from their long-held coaching posts. As multiple greats move away from their best-known positions, here is a look at how the 29 NFL Hall of Fame coaches wrapped their careers. 

Ranking the NFL's all-time best skill-position groups

Consolidations of wideouts, tight ends and running backs have made important contributions for most of the NFL's history. Storied weaponry arrays have powered Super Bowl champions or become memorable even without a title. Here are the best skill-position groups in NFL history.

Who had the greatest QB season for every NFL team?

Measuring NFL passing statistics across eras is difficult, as the game regularly changes, most benefiting modern quarterbacks. Here is an effort to do so.

Every Super Bowl champion's worst loss

Except for the 1972 Dolphins, every Super Bowl champion has endured a loss. Several have needed to recover from a one-sided defeat, while many champs had a chance to avenge their worst loss in the playoffs.

NFL trades that swung Super Bowl races

From spring and summer blockbusters to in-season moves that pushed teams over the top, here are the most notable trades that impacted clubs' marches to Super Bowl wins.

Every trade involving the No. 1 overall NFL draft pick

Teams use the NFL draft to make franchise-reshaping trades, whether for veteran players or to move up and down the board for college talent. This practice has gone on for more than 70 years.