Saints Sign Ex-Browns LB Craig Robertson, 3 year deal (merged) (1 Viewer)

[saint_drago]

We've signed kind of a variety pack of LBers so far. You have you're Special Team/Depth guy in Stupar. Then you have the crafty, grizzled vet in James Laurinaitis. And finally the starting caliber ascending young guy whose best football might be still ahead.

The comparison to the year we brought in Shanle, Simoneau, and Fuji was pretty spot on. Except we brought those three into start! I'm hoping that with these three guys now in the fold we can cobble together a decent unit.

 

[SAINTSFAN]

I haven't seen this posted, but here is the PFF grades for Robertson:

Overall: 65.3
Run: 80.8
Coverage: 84.3
Pass rush: 43.4
Snap count: 389

By comparison, Danny Trevathan:

Overall: 87.5
Run: 37.3
Coverage: 81.3
Pass rush: 51.3
Snap count: 849

Not bad company to be in.

Solid numbers, but tough to compare with such limited snaps.

 

[AL_Bundy]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9RQTy3SebQ0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Craig Robertson Height: 6-1 Weight: 234......all I can think is wow, Joe Thomas is huge.

But seriously, I'm pumped about this signing. I wanted Robertson more than I wanted Laurentius. Not that I was disappointed in the Laurentius signing, but I thought it meant we were no longer in play for Robertson, and I really wanted Robertson's coverage ability and the fact that in limited playing time, he's got 6 INT's in 4 years.

Starting to get a bit optimistic about our Defense. And even before the draft rolls around, we still haven't seen Davis Tull, Pj Williams, or Erik Harris play yet. That's a decent draft right there, and we haven't even made a pick yet. I'm ready for some football.

 

[bryantlaw]

he's not interested in "research" or actual discussion. It's all about the drama and all of the jewels in the crown are in this thread (it's in other threads, but it's consolidated pretty well here).

He knows he's perceived as a "negative poster" and has specifically said so in a couple of posts in this thread. But it's not just about negativity - we all differ in opinions from one another, from time to time, about how the team manages the personnel decisions.

But most times it always comes back to the player. Or the organization. For this poster, it's just about himself.

You've noted he doesn't do any research, and he won't.

He prides himself on collecting red thumbs - and has given himself a nickname:



And he invites other people to red thumb him:



Now, you might think that he's cool with that. He wants you to red thumb him. He's okay with it. But he's not, not really. Only so that he can use it as a barometer to tell people to bugger off:



So he invites the red thumbs only so that he can point to said thumbs and use it as ammunition against the people that red thumb him. He collects and solicits negativity, at the same time expressing indignation at the negativity he's asked to heap upon him.

The next step is a passive aggressiveness because he can't argue something on its own merits.

A couple of examples:

Here, rather than openly tell a poster why he's wrong and specify what's wrong in the post, he makes a passive aggressive 'recommendation' where that poster can locate an "edit" button so that he can "fix" his post.



And in the event that there's not an opportunity for passive-aggressiveness, there's the signature to punctuate every post:



Which is code for him sticking his fingers in his ears because so many people are pointing out how ridiculous his posts are. So if you criticize him by quoting him and he doesn't respond, he wants you to know you're on his ignore list.

And it's punctuated with the "thumbs up!" emoji - for good measure, in case the passive aggressiveness was, somehow impossibly, missed.

I think it's helpful to understand the approach so that future contrarian-ness can be contextualized properly. The opinions are posted but never supported because it's not really about discussion - it's about seeking attention and 'look at me disagreeing!"

it's a net drag on a thread that - as you noted - worth being positive over.

If there was some analysis or discussion around why the optimism should be tempered (how is he in pass coverage? What was his scouting report in university? For example), that would be one thing.

So, i'd recommend my approach - be happy we have another lb with promise! It's been a long, long time since i've been as optimistic about who we put on the field at lb and i'm going to be a pollyanna, absent any proof the contrary :17:

that is-----

 

[IceHot]

I hope this is the right thread for Craig Robertson Signs....

 

[nelopiceral1]

Is it so impossible that he'd play WLB too? Seems like ILB and WLB have similar skillsets, but I'm a working stiff not a football player.

 

[sammymvpknight]

I hope this is the right thread for Craig Robertson Signs....

 

[TruSaint]

Is it so impossible that he'd play WLB too? Seems like ILB and WLB have similar skillsets, but I'm a working stiff not a football player.

Robertson and Ellerbe will compete for the starting WLB spot.

 

[Marlboro Man]

I like it when SP and Loomis take the shotgun approach to finding talent for a particular area of the team. Worked well when they first got here with the DB's but they just stopped doing it. Glad to see them doing it again. Throw in a bunch of bodies and let it work itself out in TC.

 

[St.Dan]

Simply adding that depth is a great thing in pro football right now. And we're doing it with guys whose career arrows appear to be pointed upward, which is key. Loomis might just be getting back to "making it happen," one of our familiar and favorite sayings around here.

 

[booya]

Robertson and Ellerbe will compete for the starting WLB spot.

So you are saying that Robertson just have to sit back and relax till Ellerbe is hurt again... and therefore will he start in Game 1.

I see

 

[SAINTSFAN]

He got 3 years/$5 million. Signing bonus of $1.2 million and $765,000 2016 salary ($1,165,000 cap number).

 

[jmalon3]

Nice contract

 

[LoE]

Interesting, seems Denver was interested in Robertson last year, before his injury.

Good write-up.

Broncos Free Agent Wish List: Craig Robertson - Denver - Scout

...If you watched any Browns games in 2014, you probably noticed Robertson jump off the screen when they were on defense. The guy is a playmaker. He started games at the Mo and Mike linebacker spots in the Browns 3-4 defense.

Robertson had 99 combined tackles in 2014, but 37 stops at, or behind, the line of scrimmage. He is always around the ball, which is an instinct you want in a linebacker. He also is good in coverage, with 4 passes defensed and 2 interceptions last year. This earned him a +2.2 cumulative grade via Pro Football Focus.

One of the attributes that sets Robertson apart from his peers is his intensity. He&#8217;s a tenacious player and that type of swagger and spirit could be used in Denver. He also has experience playing with his former Browns teammate, T.J. Ward. But that&#8217;s neither here nor there.

At 27 years old, he&#8217;s played three years for the Browns, tallying 277 tackles. If the Broncos went out on a limb to sign him, they'd get a proven player, who has shown great growth and production in three short years...

 

[LoE]

Here's more.

Linebacker Craig Robertson savors added responsibilities in life and with Cleveland Browns | cleveland.com

...is one of the Browns' most popular players inside the locker room because of his humor and personality. As the club makes its playoff push, the 26-year-old Robertson also has become the quarterback of the defense in the absence of fellow inside linebacker Karlos Dansby. He made all the calls, playing a season-high 71 snaps, in the Browns' 26-24 victory in Atlanta last Sunday. Robertson earned unsolicited praise from coach Mike Pettine for his performance against the Falcons, the latest evidence of a bounce-back season for the third-year pro.


View full sizeBrowns linebacker Craig Robertson with his infant daughter, Lexi, born Sept. 24.Craig Robertson

In recent weeks, he's deflected a punt in a Nov. 2 win over the Buccaneers and supplied a tone-setting interception four days later in Cincinnati as the Browns stunned the Bengals, 24-3. Robertson will continue to make the calls and checks on defense until Dansby returns from a sprained knee.

"We're just happy that we have a guy who's been a productive special teamer for us and has had the ability to come in and give us quality reps in a linebacker rotation," Pettine said. "Just due to his character and professionalism and how he prepared himself, when we had the injury to Karlos, he was able to step up and perform at a high level."

For an admitted "class clown," Robertson takes a serious approach to all his life's pursuits.

He earned his masters in programming from North Texas in the offseason with designs on obtaining a doctorate degree. He immerses himself in football, excelling in the classroom, serving as an alternate union rep and spending his fall Friday nights at local prep games....

...His parents, Beverly and Craig Sr., stressed the importance of responsibility and education to their two sons. Robertson earned his undergraduate degree as a junior at North Texas and interned in the school's marketing department during his senior year.

His job with Verizon helped Robertson pay for his graduate work. "This is my 13^th year here and I could count on one hand the players who have come back and gotten their advance degrees," said Eric Capper, an associate athletic director for media relations at North Texas. "Craig is such an ambassador for our school. When he worked in our marketing department, he'd go out in the streets and provide such great outreach for us.

"People are just drawn to Craig because of his infectious personality."

Robertson, who earned a graduate degree in program management, plans to pursue a career in college administration. He believes he could be a valuable fundraiser for an institution....

...His value extends beyond the field. Robertson's locker has a gravitational pull with teammates being drawn by the occupant's charisma and caring. He thinks nothing of mentoring Kirksey even though the rookie's progression costs him snaps.

Browns defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil called Robertson a locker room "spark plug" and asked him to address the defense on the eve of a game, an honor usually reserved for older players.

Defensive end Billy Winn said Robertson has leadership qualities similar to former Browns' defensive captain D'Qwell Jackson. But Jackson never could make teammates and coaches laugh the way Robertson can with his jokes, hijinks and energy.
"He's a funny dude," Winn said. "He comes with a lot of different experiences and really paints a picture when he tells you a story.

"But when it's time to get down to business he's the best in the game. He learned from the best, he learned from DQ."
Robertson cannot get enough of football or its atmosphere. He attends high school games at Strongsville, Berea-Midpark and North Olmsted.

"I'm just a sports junkie," he said. "I go watch basketball, baseball, it really doesn't matter. But when it comes to football, (there's) just a special place in my heart for football."