Things move very quickly in the NFL – on and off the field. Janarius Robinson knows this first-hand now, having been signed off the Vikings' practice squad on Tuesday and turning around and practicing with the Eagles at the NovaCare Complex on Thursday. He's here to be the best version of himself and hopefully help the Eagles mitigate the loss of defensive end Derek Barnett, who was placed on Injured Reserve two days after suffering a torn ACL in the season-opening win at Detroit.
Welcome to Philadelphia, Janarius.
"It's been pretty crazy, but I'm glad to be here and learn the system and play good football," Robinson said on Thursday at his locker. "You just have to be ready. That's one thing about this game, you always have to be ready. It feels great to be wanted and I'm hard at work trying to fit into what they want from me."
A fourth-round draft pick in 2021 from Florida State, Robinson spent 2021 on Injured Reserve with a leg injury, but he says he feels great now and is ready to assimilate himself into the Eagles' defense as an edge player. In Minnesota's 3-4 front, Robinson had to learn to play standing up on the edge after largely having his hand in the dirt at Florida State.
What the Eagles do fits his style more, he says.
"They envision me to come in and help, so whatever they ask of me, it's my job to put myself in the best position to play. I have to learn the defense and give myself the best shot of being out there on Monday night, or whenever they want me to suit up," Robinson said.
It helps that he has a familiar face in the locker room in the form of Florida State product Josh Sweat, an Eagles draft pick in 2018. Sweat, Robinson said, has been a friend for years and is an "added resource" to help his integration into what the Eagles are doing with their defensive fronts.
The Eagles will explore all options to replace Barnett's reps, so Robinson is trying to get up to speed as quickly as possible.
"I'm going to play hard and put it all out there for the organization and give it everything I have," he said. "Minnesota was a great experience for me and I learned a lot. Now I'm here and it's my job to get ready. I was a Viking just the other day and now I'm an Eagle preparing to play the Vikings. It's crazy, but that's just the way this business is. You have to be ready for everything and anything."
