NY Jets send clear message with savvy James Robinson trade

The NY Jets wasted little time replacing the injured Breece Hall as they've reportedly traded for Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

SNY's Connor Hughes is reporting that the Jets will send a conditional sixth-round pick that could become a fifth-rounder to the Jaguars in exchange for Robinson. In doing so, they've sent a clear message to both the locker room and the NFL.

The Jets aren't a charity case. They're not some scrappy, underdog team just happy to be here. The Jets are looking to compete. They want to win games and make a playoff run.

General manager Joe Douglas wasn't going to sit around and sulk about the loss of Hall. The acquisition of Robinson proves that the Jets believe they can win right now. They're not going anywhere.

James Robinson is a savvy pickup for the NY Jets

Originally signed as an undrafted free agent following the 2020 NFL Draft, Robinson took the NFL world by storm as a rookie rushing for 1,070 yards and seven touchdowns. He became just the fourth undrafted rookie in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards and was the quickest to do so (14 weeks).

The surprising addition of Travis Etienne in the 2021 NFL Draft clouded Jacksonville's running back room, but following a season-ending injury to Etienne in the summer, Robinson once again served as the team's lead back.

But with Etienne returning in 2022, Robinson has split carries with the former Clemson standout. He's still managed to produce, rushing for 340 yards and three touchdowns in seven games including a 100-yard performance in Week 3, but it became clear that the Jaguars wanted to build around Etienne.

Still, landing a talented 24-year-old running back like Robinson for as cheap as the Jets did has to be seen as a fantastic move for Joe Douglas and company.

This isn't just a move for 2022 either. Robinson is set to be a restricted free agent at the end of the season and provides the Jets with extra security for 2023. A second-round RFA tender would cost the Jets roughly $4.3 million next season if that's the route they want to take.

Either way, the Jets have made one thing abundantly clear: they want to compete. The Jets want to continue winning football games, injuries or no injuries.

The James Robinson trade provides proof of that.