The NFL season starts on Thursday with the Denver Broncos hosting the Baltimore Ravens for the opening game of the 2013 schedule and that means the preseason is over and final cut downs of players are happening around the league before the 53-man deadline on Saturday at 6pm and some of the notable running backs to go already includes Michael Robinson, Lance Ball and Delone Carter.
Teams had to cut down from 90 players on Tuesday to 75 by 4pm and Saturday is the deadline for finalized 53-man rosters for Week 1 of the regular season. According to ESPN.com, Robinson was released by the Seahawks on Friday as one of the players Pete Carroll released, with the fullback writing in a tweet that he was leaving the team. Robinson played in Seattle since 2010 after playing for the San Francisco 49ers for four seasons and he previously made a Pro Bowl while being the lead blocker for Marshawn Lynch.
Robinson is one of the more notable players released and he could get a job soon after leading the way for Lynch very effectively over the past two seasons, helping him gain over 1,000 yards each time, including nearly 1,600 last year. The Seahawks have been an effective rushing team over the past few seasons with Robinson and Lynch, but GM John Schneider wants to go younger at the position with Spencer Ware and Derrick Coleman and it also helps free up some money. The report says that Robinson's release will save the team $1 million in cap room since he was set to be paid a $2.5 million salary.
Robinson isn't much of a producer when it comes to yards or carries, with just 12 for 49 yards last season, but he is an excellent blocker and intelligent player and any team that was previously looking at Vonta Leach when he was a free agent. The Dolphins or the Giants could go after him and New York might want to add a running back or full back after losing Andre Brown to a broken leg. Henry Hynoski is coming back from an injury and that also could help Robinson.
Delone Carter was released from the Baltimore Ravens after he was acquired from the Indianapolis Colts and he could get picked up at some point down the road for a team looking for depth. Carter previously played for Jim Caldwell and rushed for over 120 yards last season while playing in 10 games and as a rookie he started three games and rushed for nearly 400 yards. The Colts didn't need Carter anymore after signing Ahmad Bradshaw and with Vick Ballard and Donald Brown also on the roster he was expendable.
Carter showed some flashes in college with two straight 1,000-yard seasons and he could end up on a practice squad for a team down the line if he doesn't get signed anywhere else. The Broncos released Lance Ball to avoid paying him some cash money and they want to go younger with Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman. Ball had 400 yards rushing two years ago and could be a solid option for the Giants after losing Brown.