Khiry Robinson

After word spread that none other than Bill Parcells had compared him to Hall of Fame running back Curtis Martin, big things were expected from Robinson in 2014. Unsurprisingly, he failed to live up to the lofty billing. He didn't impress during Mark Ingram's early season absence due to a broken hand, then suffered a serious forearm injury just as Ingram returned to action. By the time Robinson returned, Ingram had firmly re-established his spot atop the depth chart. Built to punish would-be tacklers at 6-0, 220, Robinson's power and balance make him difficult to bring down, while his burst and vision are good enough to regularly get him to the second level. The Saints' crowded depth chart shed Pierre Thomas and Travaris Cadet in the offseason, but the addition of C.J. Spiller puts another body between Robinson and regular snaps, especially considering the well-defined roles of Spiller and Ingram in the passing game and at the goal line respectively. Neither Ingram nor Spiller are iron men, however, and coach Sean Payton prefers spreading backfield touches, so Robinson could still see a fairly significant workload even if everyone stays healthy.

The Saints liked what they saw when they worked Robinson into their running rotation at the end of last year, as the bruising 6-foot, 220-pound back carried 21 times for 102 yards and a touchdown in two postseason games after averaging 4.1 YPC during the regular season. With Pierre Thomas handling an even bigger share of the passing duties he was previously splitting with Darren Sproles, meaning Mark Ingram and Robinson are the main candidates to work on early downs. Ingram's injury-prone nature could mean Robinson ends up with a very significant role indeed.

Robinson made the Saints' 53- man roster as an undrafted free agent out of tiny West Texas A & M. With the Saints electing to keep both Travaris Cadet and Robinson on the final roster, the two running backs will compete for the fourth running back position on the depth chart. With the Saints' preference to deploy a running back-by-committee approach, Robinson could have value if injuries hit the running back corp if he can move ahead of Cadet on the depth chart.