Being labeled as an "offensive weapon" on the roster really means the sky is the limit for Denard Robinson. After playing quarterback his entire time at Michigan, Robinson was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars to be more of a hybrid player. He has been seen working with the wide receiver group, the running back and now he is running the entire offense, getting snaps at quarterback.
Third-year quarterback Blaine Gabbert recently injured his ankle at the start of training camp, leaving others like Chad Henne and Robinson to get snaps leading the offense. While the Jaguars have been adamant that Robinson will likely see little time at quarterback, he is running a package of plays from time to time.
Florida Times-Union reports that Robinson has been running Wildcat plays in practice. Plays included Robinson doing everything from running and completing passes. Putting Robinson on the field alongside running back Maurice Jones-Drew gives Jacksonville numerous options and the ability to get creative with the playbook. Head coach Gus Bradley is confident Robinson can run the set successfully.
"We did it in OTAs and a couple of times he ran the ball and fumbled the ball and he didn't know how to pitch,'' Bradley said. "We're not going to give up on that. [Offensive coordinator] Jedd's [Fisch] philosophy is to get it in the playmaker's hands and we want to see if he's a playmaker and the threat he can give us. If he's willing to put in the time in like he is and really understand the concepts and what's important to us, then he's got a good chance.''
One thing Bradley is concerned about with Robinson is ball security. During OTAs, Robinson had fumbling issues. Jacksonville has high hopes for Robinson's ability to make big plays, but Bradley stressed that he must get a better hold of the ball before they can trust him with bigger things.
"We have a photographer out here who takes pictures, snapshots of them holding the ball and it's shown in team meetings just to show them if there's any air," Bradley said. "So he has to have that mindset because his teammates need to trust him. It's hard to get on the field if you can't protect the ball when one of our major deals of this organization is it's all about the ball."
Robinson promises he is working on the issue. He has made consistency a goal in training camp. While he sees more time at quarterback, being a constant presence on the field will be key to his success.
