Allen Robinson‘s bid to make the Giants’ initial 53-man roster will come up short. The Giants are releasing the veteran wideout, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. They are the second team to cut Robinson this year, as the Steelers did the same.
The Giants are also cutting cornerbacks Darnay Holmes and Tre Herndon, according to ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan. Holmes had re-signed with the team this offseason, while Herndon — a six-year Jaguars contributor — joined the team late in its offseason program.
Robinson’s stints with the Jaguars and Bears included three 1,100-yard campaigns and only one season featuring significant missed time through injury. In recent years, however, he has been unable to find a permanent home. The 31-year-old failed to live up to expectations during a single season with the Rams, leading to his trade to the Steelers. 2023 did not result in a productive campaign (280 scoreless yards on 34 catches), however, and despite a lack of proven receivers, Pittsburgh moved on.
Robinson has made it clear he intends to continue his career for several more seasons, but the fact he was unable to land a 53-man roster spot in New York is certainly not an encouraging sign. He will be free to join any interested team on the open market. However, without being a special teams contributor, the former Pro Bowler’s path to a gig is strictly as a complementary wideout. Robinson’s only guaranteed money from the Giants was a $25K signing bonus.
In the build-up to cutdowns, it was learned New York would likely be a suitor for a cornerback addition. As a result, it comes as no surprise Holmes and Herndon are being let go to clear out space for new options. The former has spent his entire career as a Giant, making 54 appearances and 11 starts (none of which came last season). Meanwhile, the latter has only played in Jacksonville, but his time in New York has proven short-lived.
Deonte Banks is a locked-in CB starter for the Giants, but questions remain concerning who will handle first-team duties opposite him in 2024. A player capable of handling a starter’s workload will likely not be available in the coming days, but a depth move or two should now be expected.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
