Josh Robinson Likely Not Coming Back To Vikings In 2016

A player that appears to be one of the odd men out in the Minnesota Vikings' defensive backfield battle is, apparently, not going to be a part of the battle in 2016.

Josh Robinson, who the Vikings drafted in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft, will apparently not be coming back to the Vikings next season. 2015 was the final year of Robinson's rookie contract, and according to Ben Goessling of ESPN, he is likely going to be looking for a fresh start.

Robinson has had a very up-and-down career with the Vikings. He showed plenty of promise as a rookie in 2012, but followed that up with a disastrous 2013 when Leslie Frazier and company attempted to force him into the role of slot cornerback. To say that he was ill-suited to the position would be an understatement, as opposing quarterbacks picked on him all season long.

He had a bit of a renaissance in 2014, save for one game where Brandon Marshall made him look awful. (Then again, Brandon Marshall does that to a lot of defensive backs.) Robinson then tore his pectoral muscle during Organized Team Activities in the offseason and started Training Camp on the Physically Unable to Perform List. He came back midway through the season, but was deactivated on several occasions and struggled when he was asked to step in.

With Xavier Rhodes entrenched at one cornerback spot, 2015 first-round pick Trae Waynes likely to make a much larger contribution, and Captain Munnerlyn getting back into form as the nickel corner, it would appear that Robinson's role with the Vikings would be greatly reduced in 2016. He probably feels he's capable of more, and will apparently be looking for an opportunity to prove it.