He hasn't played a down in the NFL, but Denard Robinson has already made a tiny bit of history.
Robinson's new team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, has listed him on their roster not as a running back, tight end, wide receiver or quarterback, but as an "OW."
What does that stand for? "Offensive Weapon," the Jaguars told Yahoo!
Sports, a nickname the former Michigan quarterback started calling
himself in the lead-up to the NFL draft. Translation: Robinson can play
any offensive position (other than lineman), and he hopes to do so. That even includes kick returner, which he'll do for the first time in his football career starting in the fall.
Robinson certainly isn't the first NFL player to play a variety of positions. Kordell Stewart was known as "Slash" because he was a quarterback "slash" running back. Deion Sanders caught passes and defended them. And those are just two examples. Antwaan Randle-El, like Robinson, starred as a mobile quarterback in the Big 10 and went on to play a key role with the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers as a receiver. Robinson would certainly like to follow that career arc.
The "OW" designation actually has a mirror in fantasy football, where some leagues have a "flex" position that allows running backs, wide receivers and tight ends (but not quarterbacks). So Robinson might get some extra interest from fantasy players this year, even if he's playing for a team that's not expected to make the playoffs.
Will Robinson be a trendsetter? It's possible. The NFL craves speed and versatility, and the Florida native has both. It's a copycat league, so maybe there will be other OWs on future rosters. And even if he only plays a small part in the Jaguars' offense this season, Robinson can call himself the greatest who ever played at his position.
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