As this week's series covering in-house free agents winds toward a crescendo on Friday, rest assured that Laurent Robinson will be a part of Tier 1, both for his likely cost and the priority he represents for the Cowboys.
Because of the injury history for Miles Austin and Dez Bryant, the idea is a solid third receiver is even more valuable.
Austin was never right in 2011 because of nagging hamstring trouble, and has had other leg issues in the past. Bryant played in 15 games in 2011, but missed four in 2010, plus most of training camp that year because of a high ankle sprain.
But it should be noted that Robinson's health hasn't been a sure thing over the years, either. That's a big part of the reason he was even available for the Cowboys to sign off the street this year, to begin with.
After a nice rookie year for Atlanta in 2007, he played in only six games for the Falcons in 2008 before landing on the IR with a hamstring injury. Following a trade to St. Louis, he got off to a nice start in 2009, but fractured his fibula after three games, again heading to the injured reserve. He missed two games for the Rams in 2010, then was released in the offseason.
Robinson went to camp with the Chargers last summer, but was released on final cuts. After being picked up by the Cowboys on Sept. 7, he actually injured his hamstring in his very first practice with the team, and was waived six days later. Another week went by and he was brought back, following an aggravation of Austin's hamstring.
A lot of times, injuries are not the fault of the player, and guys can sometimes put their health problems behind them for good. However, Robinson's 14-game stretch of good health doesn't necessarily mean he's going to be an ironman from here on out.
That's got to be a consideration for the Cowboys as they try to decide what they're willing to pay to retain his services.
