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

The longest-tenured starters in the NFL

With teams' rosters nearly set ahead of training camp, here are the NFL's longest-tenured starters -- sorted by their durations as first-stringers with their respective teams, rather than total games started -- going into the 2021 season.

Incumbent NFL QBs who held off high draft picks

Round 1 picks usually earn starting jobs early, but that is not always the case. Several incumbents throughout history have held off hotshot prospects.

Which NFL teams had the best and worst offseasons?

With minicamps approaching, the most interesting parts of the NFL's offseason have taken place. From coaching hires, to free agency additions and subtractions, to trades, to draft picks, which teams fared the best during the latest NFL offseason?

Shadow of a bout: The best boxing fights that didn't happen

With a Terence Crawford-Errol Spence fight on the MayPac trajectory, at best, boxing fans are frequently reminded can't-miss fights frequently do not happen. Various stumbling blocks have impeded much-anticipated bouts. Here are the modern era's biggest makeable fights that did not end up taking place.

Which NFL positions are the most troublesome to fill?

Going into this draft, certain teams have glaring needs. Some of these deficiencies have existed for several years, with multiple prior efforts to address them failing.

The best wide receiver draft classes of all time

Stacked wide receiver classes have become the norm in NFL drafts, and 2021's appears set to continue this recent April tradition. Several eras have seen a few wideout drafts make major impacts, however.

College football coaches who should have stayed in school

Several have tried to turn their success at the college level into NFL success, only to come up short. This group of coaches, which includes a host of national championship winners, serves as a reminder how difficult this jump can be.

College coaches who successfully made the leap to the NFL

Urban Meyer is the latest college coach to attempt an NFL replication of his previous success. He would not be the first one. The Pro Football Hall of Fame features a few college leaders who made the leap, and the NFL has seen others succeed as well.

The best reunions in NFL history

A few players joined former employers this offseason. Both Trent Brown and Kyle Van Noy are back in New England. While Bill Belichick has used this strategy effectively, other teams have as well.

Who are the top beneficiaries from the NFL offseason?

The 2021 NFL offseason saw every team -- save for the Buccaneers, who were fond of their 2020 squad -- make changes that will affect their starting lineups.

Which NFL teams still have glaring holes to fill?

Most of the dollars NFL franchises allotted for free agency spending have been doled out, but several teams still have significant voids to fill. Here are the teams that still feature major needs going into free agency's latter stages and the draft.

The best bargain signings of the NFL free agency era

The NFL has gone through 28 free agency periods since the player-movement tool began in earnest in 1993. Every team has reaped rewards from correctly identifying a hidden gem or signing a higher-profile player on a team-friendly deal. Here are the best bargain signings of the free agency era.

Which NFL teams have the best QB situations?

The early part of the 2021 offseason has produced rampant uncertainty at the NFL's most important position. Trade requests and trade destination lists are changing long-settled situations.

The top NFL pass-rushing duos of the sack era

By adding J.J. Watt to team up with Chandler Jones, the Cardinals now have two All-Decade pass rushers. Pairing the acclaimed sackers brings tremendous potential.

The best NFL free-agent signing from every previous offseason

The NFL green-lighting full-fledged free agency in 1993 changed the league, opening the door to higher-profile players relocating each offseason. Entering free agency's 29th year, here are the best signings from its previous 28.

The highest-profile free agent for every NFL team

With the legal tampering period less than three weeks away, here is each team's top free agent.

The best NFL seasons that didn't result in an MVP award

Historic NFL seasons have not always resulted in an MVP award. Here are the best seasons of the MVP era (1957-present) that did not produce a trophy.

The biggest offseason priority for every NFL team

With Super Bowl LV behind us, every NFL team is now in offseason mode. Quarterback maneuvers are stealing headlines thus far, but several teams are set there and need to make key adjustments at other spots.

Super Bowl LV grades

The Buccaneers stopped the Chiefs from becoming the second 21st-century franchise to repeat as champion, stampeding to their second Super Bowl title instead.

Super Bowl LV X-factors

The performances of role players and less reliable starters will go a long way toward determining if the Chiefs can win back-to-back titles or if the Buccaneers can derail them on their home field.

NFL Conference Championship Sunday grades

The Buccaneers sprung another upset, and the Chiefs returned to their pace-setting form. Tom Brady going for ring No. 7 against a Chiefs team eyeing the NFL's first repeat in 16 years.

The greatest QB rivalries in NFL history

Here are the best QB series NFL has seen thus far.

Which NFL teams made three straight conference championship games?

The Chiefs have become just the second team to appear in six straight conference championship games, while the 49ers have now appeared in three in a row.

NFL Divisional-round weekend grades

The NFC saw one marquee quarterback matchup lead to another, while one AFC passer's status will hover over championship week. Divisional-round weekend also resulted in multiple success-starved franchises heading to the Super Bowl doorstep.

NFL Wild Card weekend grades

The Browns' upset changed the AFC bracket and ensured its divisional round will include only young quarterbacks, while three first-ballot Hall of Famers are still left in the NFC.