Even if tailback Khiry Robinson just picks up where he left off at the end of last season, he's due for a monster year with the New Orleans Saints.
Saints coach Sean Payton started feeding the 6-foot, 220-pounder more during the playoffs after veteran Pierre Thomas was injured. And Payton famously revealed that his mentor, Bill Parcells, compared Robinson to Hall of Famer Curtis Martin and insisted that Payton needed to use him more.
Now, Robinson is hoping to build off that success while also becoming a more well-rounded back capable of catching passes and being trusted in pass protection.
"He is someone obviously that has more confidence now," Payton said last week during the Saints' first week of organized team activities. "You see him, just from an assignment standpoint, understanding the protections much quicker. That took a while for him last year. I think (with) a year under his belt, the overall understanding of all the things he needs to do at the running back position is a lot better. …
"He is a lot further along than he was this time last year."
A 'monster year' is probably overstating things, since Robinson finished with 33 carries for 152 yards and a TD in his final three games. That extrapolates to 176 carries for 811 yards and 5.3 TD over a full season, or about what Trent Richardson scored as the #34 RB in 2013. His upside is capped by the presence of Thomas and Mark Ingram, though if one of those players goes down, Robinson could emerge as a starting-caliber fantasy back. We currently have him ranked #46 in standard formats.
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