Reviewing Giants' Options to Replace Aaron Robinson in Defensive Lineup

Coach Gene Clemons explores ways the Giants might fill the void left by Aaron Robinson's appendectomy.

Author:
Gene Clemons
Publish date:
Sep 17, 2022 9:42 AM EDT

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Aaron Robinson has officially been declared out against the Carolina Panthers after undergoing an appendectomy Monday. While it's not known how long he will be out--that depends on multiple factors specific to his case, most notably whether his appendix was removed arthroscopically or via traditional surgery--the Giants now need to figure out how to replace him in the starting lineup.

"First of all, I’m glad he’s healthy and safe. That’s got to be quite a scare for a guy that young to go through that," said defensive coordinator Wink Martindale.

"It’s going to be a challenge like it always is. There were challenges we had last week. I’ve always said, ‘No one cares about your problems.’ Ninety percent of the world glad you got them or don’t care about them. And 10 percent, glad you got them. That was the old Lou Holtz saying. So, we’ve just got to keep playing."

Yes, but with whom manning that second cornerback?

"We’ll see," Martindale said. "You know how that goes. That’s all part of this week, too."

“We’ve got three guys who are ready to go, ready to play and we’ll see how the game plays out, and how much they play,” added defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson, no doubt referencing Fabian Moreau, Cor’Dale Flott, and Justin Layne.

Some options are obvious, and some may be thinking out of the box, but there are nerves anytime you must replace a starter. So let's take a look at some options.

Cordell Flott is an obvious choice to replace Robinson. He is the backup at both cornerback positions on the Giants depth chart. The rookie third-round draft pick out of LSU had a decent training camp, missing a little time with a groin strain, but even with Robinson's struggles in the preseason, he was unable to beat out the second-year vet.

There are similarities between the two corners. Both are longer corners standing 6-foot-1, and both have slender builds. Both have the athleticism to be solid starters in this league but are still learning more of the technical aspects of the position. He should be able to come in and give the Giants similar production as Robinson, especially when you consider they have very similar skill sets.

Flott lacks experience, however, which eventually he'll get.

“Sometimes it doesn’t matter if he’s ready or not,” Henderson said. “It happens. This week somebody’s gotta go in and play between him, Moreau and (Justin) Layne.”

Another option--albeit one the Giants are not believed to want to make--would be moving Julian Love to cornerback for the game. Love is a former cornerback who was moved to safety when the Giants drafted him. He is very athletic, and he is a sure tackler.

With rookie Belton having come off the injury list, the Giants could opt for this stop-gap solution.

Another option would be moving Darnay Holmes to corner and bringing Flott in as the nickel. Holmes is a smart football player who knows all of the defensive back positions already. He would also open up some more blitzes from the cornerback position.

The only issue with the move would be that two people would be displaced. Keeping Holmes at nickel means only one hole must be plugged on the defense.

Veteran Fabian Moreau, elevated from the practice squad, is thought to be a strong possibility. The 6-foot, 208-pound veteran was a third-round pick out of UCLA in 2017 by the Commanders. Last year he was with Atlanta, where his skillset didn't appear to be a good fit for the defense the Falcons ran. Moreau also spent time with the Texans this summer.

“You love that [experience] about him,” said Henderson. “He’s played in NFL games and started in NFL games and played in multiple systems. You know he comes in and should be able to learn.

“He’s a good add for us.”

Moreau has a good blend of size and speed and appears to be more of a fit for the press-man coverage scheme the Giants play. However, last year with the Falcons, scheme fit or no scheme fit, his stats were far from impressive--65.8 percent of the pass targets against him were completed for 523 yards, 118 yards after the catch. He also had zero interceptions, only six pass breakups, and allowed seven touchdowns.

Justin Layne is the final corner on the depth chart. He spent his first three seasons in the NFL playing special teams for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he was probably expected to only be a special teamer for New York.

Like the other three young cornerbacks on the roster, he is a long, slender cornerback with good athleticism but technical skills that leave much to be desired. Layne may need to be ready in case there are more injuries.

Robinson is not the worst loss this defense could experience and is probably the easiest to replace. The issue becomes how thin the depth is in the defensive backfield. If Robinson is the most inexperienced link in the defensive backfield, then the question becomes how much worse it can get.

Hopefully, the Giants don't need to find out.