There's now one player who won't be featured with the Dallas Cowboys when the camera crew for HBO's "Hard Knocks" arrives in training camp, and it's cornerback Rashard Robinson. The 25-year-old was released by the team only three days before chartering their flight to Oxnard, CA, opening up a roster spot in the process. It's unclear who they'll add to fill the vacancy and when, but Robinson's time with the Cowboys has officially come to an end, and in tumultuous fashion.
The veteran cornerback is set to serve a two-game suspension to begin the 2021 season for violation of the league's PED policy, a punishment levied this offseason. Robinson joined the Cowboys in 2020 and was previously suspended during his time with the New York Jets -- a four-game ban for a substance abuse violation -- a penalty that preceded the Jets releasing him in 2019, only months before he was suspended a total of 10 games for an additional violation of the substance abuse policy.
As such, his current two-game ban will be his third suspension in less than three calendar years.
Robinson, a former fourth-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 2016, was mostly a practice squad body for the Cowboys last season, but did log three starts due to an injury-ravaged roster. He logged no interceptions and no pass deflections in that stretch, allowing an 81.3 percent catch rate when targeted, along with a combined 106 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
With nothing fruitful on neither the defensive nor special teams front to leverage against his suspension, and existing on a bubble contract as well, Robinson will now look for a new NFL home while the Cowboys make their way to Southern California to begin ramping up for the 2021 season.
