Falcons Arthur Smith Claims Bijan Robinson’s Doesn’t Need The Ball To Help The Team

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The Falcons made a bold move when they picked running back Bijan Robinson as the 8th overall selection in this year’s 2023 NFL Draft, but they aren’t using him enough.

Considering most don’t believe the position should be drafted in the 1st round at all, fans and fantasy football owners at least thought he’ll get high usage with the Falcons. Instead they’re all wondering about Robinson’s limited involvement over the past couple of weeks.

For a top-10 pick, Robinson’s number of touches is somewhat underwhelming. In the Falcons’ two recent games, Robinson had just 11 carries in each, producing 62 yards and a touchdown against the Titans in a 28-23 Week 8 loss with no catches, and gaining 51 yards, and catching two passes in a 31-28 loss to the Vikings on Sunday.

When questioned about Robinson’s health, head coach Arthur Smith confirmed that he’s healthy. But what left many fantasy football owners frustrated was Smith adding the following, “Sometimes, his impact away from the ball can open things up,” during a recent press conference.

While Robinson gained 714 yards from scrimmage this season – 517 rushing and 197 receiving. fantasy owners had hoped for even more from such a high draft pick.

Robinson has had limited involvement around the goal-line as well, which restricts his ability to score touchdowns. He was only given one carry all season from there.

Why draft a running so high and not use him as much as possible, especially considering running backs have short career spans.