In the wake of a season-ending ACL injury to rookie running back Breece Hall, the New York Jets have traded a late-round draft pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for 24-year-old running back James Robinson.
Robinson, who went undrafted in 2020, burst onto the scene as a rookie with 1070 rushing yards and 49 catches for 344 receiving yards, totaling 10 touchdowns.
Despite his success, the Jaguars opted to draft running back Travis Etienne Jr in the first round of the 2021 draft, but his rookie season ended before it began after a Lisfranc injury to his foot in the preseason.
Robinson's follow-up to his terrific rookie season was less spectacular, and ended abruptly with a torn Achilles in Week 16 late in December. Through two seasons, he carried the ball 404 times at 4.54 yards per carry.
Robinson opened this season as the starter, but slowly began to cede work to the former college teammate of star quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and that culminated in Week 7 where an even split turned into the Etienne show.
Etienne took full advantage, turning 14 carries into 114 rushing yards and his first career touchdown, marking the third consecutive game he has totaled at least 100 yards from scrimmage. Robinson did not receive a single carry in their loss to the New York Giants.
Meanwhile, the Jets have been one of the most surprising teams in the NFL this season, boasting a 5-2 record despite beginning the season without starting quarterback Zach Wilson, winning four games in a row since his return in Week 4.
A big part of the Jets' success has been the breakout performances of Hall, who quickly emerged as the star of this year's rookie running back class and had a real chance of winning Offensive Rookie of the Year.
The Jets still have Michael Carter II in the backfield, who has been sharing the workload with Hall, but lack any real depth behind him, prompting a proactive move for the now out-of-favour Robinson.
It was a small price to pay, with ESPN's Adam Schefter reporting the Jets only sent the Jaguars a sixth-round draft pick, with a chance it becomes a fifth-rounder if certain benchmarks are met.
Eagles lock up wide receiver Smith through 2028
The Philadelphia Eagles locked up wide receiver DeVonta Smith through the 2028 season on Monday.
Philadelphia exercised its fifth-year option on Smith for the 2025 season and agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension that runs through 2028.
Smith’s extension is reportedly worth $75million, including $51million in guaranteed money.
Philadelphia selected Smith with the 10th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft after he won the Heisman Trophy with Alabama in 2020.
Smith was the first wide receiver to win the Heisman since Desmond Howard in 1991 and first non-quarterback or running back to capture the honour since cornerback Charles Woodson in 1997.
Smith has caught 240 passes for 3,178 yards and 19 touchdowns in 50 regular-season games while adding 27 receptions for 405 yards and a TD catch in five postseason contests.
OJ Simpson: Cherished star whose fall from grace was seen live by millions on TV
From cherished American superstar to villain whose murder trial captivated a global audience, OJ Simpson’s fall from grace was startling.
Simpson, nicknamed ‘The Juice’, has died at the age of 76 after losing his battle with prostate cancer, leaving behind four children.
Before the low-speed car chase by police and ‘Trial of the Century’ that began the unravelling of his reputation, Simpson was a darling of American sport who had also carved out a successful acting career.
He was raised in a low income neighbourhood in San Francisco and joined a local gang but his athleticism offered a route out and he found his purpose in gridiron.
A prolific running back, he starred for USC and in 1968 won the Heisman Trophy awarded to the outstanding player in college football. Inevitably, he was first overall draught pick the following year.
Progress in his first couple of seasons at the Buffalo Bills was slow but his impact grew and he went on to become one of the most successful operators in his position, winning the NFL’s most valuable player in 1973 and being inducted into the hall of fame in 1985.
He became the game’s highest paid player and lucrative commercial deals also followed as companies looked to leverage his charisma and popularity, while his acting career included parts in blockbusters ‘Towering Inferno’ and ‘The Naked Gun’.
For all his film presence he was little known outside the United States but that changed for all the wrong reasons when he was arrested in 1994 for the murder of his former wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman.
Brown and Goldman had been found stabbed to death in LA and once police had filed charges, Simpson refused to turn himself in and was pursued in an extraordinary car chase that was at low speed because he had a gun pointed to his head.
The event was televised live to millions and projected his notoriety worldwide, with the broadcasting of his subsequent murder trial only intensifying interest in this fallen star.
He was acquitted the following year but a civil lawsuit found him liable for the deaths, resulting in an order to pay £26.7million pounds to the victims of the families. Only a fraction of that amount was actually paid.
Arrests followed for a variety of offences in the early 2000s and his lowest point eventually came in 2007 when he was charged with armed robbery and kidnapping.
He served nine of a 33-year jail sentence and upon his release he continued to live in Las Vegas, looking increasingly frail when in public but active on social media. Simpson always maintained his innocence of the murders.
OJ Simpson dies aged 76
OJ Simpson has died of cancer at the age of 76.
Simpson was a running back for the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers from 1969 to 1979, before being acquitted of murder in a trial in the mid-1990s.
News of Simpson’s death was announced by his children on his X account.
“On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer,” read a statement.
“He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace. -The Simpson Family”
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